2015 – 2019 Consolidated Plan and 2015 Annual Action Plan2015 Annual Action Plan and included a public comment period that was in compliance with the city’s Citizen Participation

2015 – 2019 Consolidated Plan and 2015 Annual Action Plan

Community Development Block Grant Program

Contents Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 1

The Process ................................................................................................................................................... 5

PR-05 Lead & Responsible Agencies - 91.200(b) ....................................................................................... 5

PR-10 Consultation - 91.100, 91.200(b), 91.215(l) .................................................................................... 6

PR-15 Citizen Participation - 91.401, 91.105, 91.200(c) .......................................................................... 28

Needs Assessment ...................................................................................................................................... 41

NA-05 Overview ....................................................................................................................................... 41

NA-10 to NA -45 – Housing Needs Assessment ....................................................................................... 41

NA-50 Non-Housing Community Development Needs - 91.415, 91.215 (f) ............................................ 48

Market Analysis ........................................................................................................................................... 50

MA-05 Market Analysis Overview ........................................................................................................... 50

MA-10 to MA-40 – Market Analysis ........................................................................................................ 51

MA-45 Non-Housing Community Development Assets - 91.410, 91.210(f) ............................................ 58

MA-50 Needs and Market Analysis Discussion ........................................................................................ 64

Strategic Plan .............................................................................................................................................. 67

SP-05 Overview ........................................................................................................................................ 67

SP-10 Geographic Priorities - 91.415, 91.215(a)(1) ................................................................................. 69

SP-25 Priority Needs - 91.415, 91.215(a)(2) ............................................................................................ 69

SP-35 Anticipated Resources - 91.420(b), 91.215(a)(4), 91.220(c)(1,2) .................................................. 89

SP-40 Institutional Delivery Structure - 91.415, 91.215(k) ...................................................................... 91

SP-45 Goals - 91.415, 91.215(a)(4) .......................................................................................................... 94

SP-55 – SP 60 - Strategic Plan .................................................................................................................. 98

SP-65 Lead-based Paint Hazards - 91.415, 91.215(i) ............................................................................... 99

SP-70 Anti-Poverty Strategy - 91.415, 91.215(j) .................................................................................... 100

SP-80 Monitoring - 91.230 ..................................................................................................................... 101

2015 Annual Action Plan ........................................................................................................................... 102

AP-15 Expected Resources - 91.420(b), 91.220(c)(1,2) ......................................................................... 102

AP-20 Annual Goals and Objectives - 91.420, 91.220(c)(3)&(e) ............................................................ 104

AP-35 Projects - 91.420, 91.220(d) ........................................................................................................ 105

AP-38 Project Summary ......................................................................................................................... 107

AP-50 Geographic Distribution - 91.420, 91.220(f) ............................................................................... 110

AP-55 Affordable Housing – 91.420, 91.220 (g) .................................................................................... 111

AP-65 Homeless and Other Special Needs Activities – 91.420, 91.220 (i) ............................................ 112

AP -75 Barriers to Affordable Housing ................................................................................................... 115

AP-85 Other Actions - 91.420, 91.220(k) ............................................................................................... 116

AP-90 Program Specific Requirements - 91.420, 91.220(l)(1,2,4) ......................................................... 120

APPENDICES .............................................................................................................................................. 122

APPENDIX A. Alternate/Local Data Sources .......................................................................................... 122

APPENDIX B. Grantee Unique Appendices ............................................................................................ 124

APPENDIX C. Citizen Participation Comments, Public Notices and Outreach ....................................... 133

APPENDIX D. City Council Resolutions ................................................................................................... 150

APPENDIX E. HUD Required Forms and Certifications .......................................................................... 154

Consolidated Plan City of Thornton 1

Executive Summary

The City of Thornton became a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement jurisdiction in 2010 and is eligible to receive federal CDBG funds each year. Over the first five years of receiving CDBG funds, the city received an average total allocation of $593,320 per year. This grant is designed to provide for the needs of low and moderate income families through the support of housing, economic development, public facility and infrastructure projects and public service programs.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires entitlement jurisdictions to submit a long-term strategic plan every five years; it is called the Consolidated Plan. This plan identifies the community’s housing and development needs, funding priorities, goals and objectives. It also provides strategies for achieving those goals and stipulates how federal funds will be allocated to housing and community development activities. It contains four parts:

• An analysis of demographic and economic conditions in the city; • A review of housing conditions and affordability; • A list of housing and community development needs as identified by the public; and • An Annual Action Plan which includes the projects the entitlement desires to fund in the

following year and the actions that will be taken to address homelessness, overcome barriers to affordable housing, and further fair housing.

HUD has recently decided to have entitlement cities and their corresponding county collaborate on the development of the Consolidated Plan, so that there is a combined Consolidated Plan submitted for the entire county. As a CDBG entitlement jurisdiction and participating grantee of Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) funds through the Adams County Urban Consortium, Thornton and Westminster are considered ‘participating grantees’. Adams County is considered the ‘lead grantee’ and is responsible for submitting the final collaborative plan on behalf of Adams County, Westminster and Thornton. Each entity is responsible for completing specific sections of the Plan. Although HUD does not require Thornton to complete the lead grantee sections, Thornton can provide supplemental data that is specific to the needs of its own community. Therefore, the following sections will be included:

• NA-10 through NA-45 of the Needs Assessment section • MA-10 through MA-40 of the Market Analysis section • SP-55 through SP-60 of the Strategic Plan section • AP – 55: Affordable Housing • AP – 65: Homeless and Other Special Needs Activities • AP – 75: Barriers to Affordable Housing

To develop Thornton’s sections of the Consolidated Plan, the city hired Community Strategies Institute (CSI) to collect and analyze demographics, economic conditions and information on housing in Thornton. All the qualitative and quantitative housing data was packaged into Thornton’s 2014 Housing Needs Assessment, which includes the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, and is posted at www.cityofthornton.net. Also, the city staff coordinated an extensive public input process to identify and prioritize the needs of the low-income population.

This section of the 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan was prepared in accordance with 24 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. In addition, staff used “A Desk Guide for Using IDIS to Prepare the Consolidated Plan, Annual Action Plan and CAPER/PER” document provided by HUD to assist in completing the content of this plan. City staff followed the public input process identified in the Citizen Participation Plan to meet HUD’s public input requirements.

http://www.cityofthornton.net/


Summary of the objectives and outcomes identified in the Plan

The goals and objectives for this Consolidated Plan are based on the data and analysis in the 2014 Housing Needs Assessment and the public input provided during the development of the plan.

Housing Goal: Expand and improve available housing options for low and moderate income residents.

• Develop and maintain quality and affordable housing options for owners and renters that are geographically dispersed throughout the city.

• Increase and maintain accessible housing options for the disabled and aging populations.

Public Facilities and Infrastructure Goal: Improve existing or support new infrastructure or public facilities that benefit low and moderate income residents.

• Provide infrastructure improvements that will increase safety and accessibility or that support revitalization efforts.

• Support acquisition, improvements or construction of public facilities.

Public Services Goal: Expand and increase public services for low and moderate income residents. • Support services that address basic needs, increase self-sufficiency or educate residents.

Economic Development Goal: Increase efforts to develop, strengthen or expand local businesses. • Support economic development activities that provide jobs or job training for low and

moderate income residents. Evaluation of past performance

Thornton’s first Consolidated Plan, covering 2010-2014, contained seven goals. All the goals and high priority needs were accomplished during that time period as well as some of the medium priority needs. City staff found that some of the goals would have worked better as objectives, since these addressed a way to accomplish a larger goal. Therefore, in this plan the city developed a goal for each of the four CDBG categories that are broad enough to encompass a variety of potential projects. An area that Thornton expanded since the first Consolidated Plan was the participation of residents in the development of the Plan. During the development of the first plan, city staff held a community meeting and a public hearing, conducted a phone survey on housing needs and placed information on the city website. Staff has seen great benefits by including more opportunities for community members to learn about and comment on CDBG over the last few years. Therefore, when this Consolidated Plan process was started, staff planned for increased outreach efforts to low-income and special populations. Staff extended the timeframe for citizen participation and added focus groups, online surveys in Spanish and English, attended a community festival in a CDBG-eligible area to gather input as well as held a public hearing and placed information on the website. This has helped the city learn about some unexpected needs and begin discussions with local nonprofits on ways to meet those needs. Summary of citizen participation process and consultation process

The citizen participation process was incorporated throughout the development of Thornton’s part of the Consolidated Plan, which happened over 18 months. The process included opportunities for community members to provide written or verbal input and accommodated for Spanish speakers. There were three primary phases for participation:


1. Input gathered during the development of the 2014 Housing Needs Assessment; 2. Community outreach to identify the priorities and needs of the low-income population; and 3. The public hearing and comment period associated with the approval of the Consolidated Plan

and Action Plan. The input gathered during the development of the Housing Needs Assessment is summarized in the Appendix of the Assessment under Public Participation. The second phase was focused on discovering what Thornton residents and service providers viewed as an unmet need in the community. Their feedback was used to identify high and low priorities that will be used to guide future funding of projects. Outreach efforts included three focus groups with special needs populations and low-income residents of a public housing authority complex; a booth at a local community festival that was in a CDBG-eligible area; and an open house. The festival and the service provider meeting saw the greatest number of participants. Overall, almost 200 people attended these events. Also, the city distributed project prioritization surveys to help identify what the highest priority needs were for the low-income residents. These were available in both English and Spanish and distributed to different locations where low-income people would go for services. The survey was also posted on the city’s website for those unable to attend one of the events. Staff received surveys from 145 residents. To increase public participation, staff promoted ways to provide feedback through the city’s website, social media outlets, local newspapers, the city’s resident email notification system, and the city’s cable show. Also, staff distributed information to over 340 agencies that work with low-income populations, 44 different churches, and to managers of apartment complexes, multifamily homeowner associations, and manufactured home parks. Flyers for the community events were in English and Spanish and a Spanish language interpreter was available at all the focus groups and the open house. Meetings were held at locations that were close to where those populations resided. Bus vouchers were distributed to participants, compliments of the Regional Transportation District, as well as maps of the closest bus stops to the meeting locations. For the consultation section, staff participated in a collaborative effort with Adams County and Westminster to host a meeting with 23 service providers. Staff also met one on one with the Continuum of Care agency, the Adams County veteran liaison and fair housing center staff. For the third phase - adoption of the Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan - staff held a public hearing at the City Council meeting in City Hall, an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible facility. The plans were posted on the city website 30 days prior to the public hearing date and a legal notice was placed in the local paper 45 days prior to the public hearing date (see Appendix). The notice informed residents of the public hearing to discuss the proposed 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan and the 2015 Annual Action Plan and included a public comment period that was in compliance with the city’s Citizen Participation Plan. Additionally, the legal notice provided information on accessibility for people with disabilities and information on obtaining special assistance. Residents were directed to the CDBG webpage which had the draft Consolidated Plan and Action Plan as well as contact information for comments from those who could not attend the public hearing.


Summary of public comments

A summary of all comments received through the project prioritization survey are listed in the Citizen Participation Comments Appendix and the public comments from the focus groups, open house and festival is summarized in section PR-15 of this plan document. This information was used to help the city develop the funding priorities. Comments received after the 2014 Housing Needs Assessment draft was complete and posted to the website are included with that document and section PR-15 of this plan document. The Assessment was accepted by Thornton City Council on November 25, 2014. No comments were received during the public comment period or at the public hearing for the Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan. Summary of comments or views not accepted and the reasons for not accepting them

The city did not accept comments from people that lived outside Thornton. There were 17 housing surveys and 39 project prioritization surveys that were excluded from Thornton’s data collection for this reason. If the surveys were from residents of other cities in Adams County or unincorporated Adams County, those surveys were forwarded to Adams County. The city did not incorporate suggestions that were either an ineligible use of CDBG funds, not applicable to CDBG, or the issue had already been addressed but the residents were unaware of the program. City staff explained the national objectives of CDBG and had information about recent CDBG-funded projects available at the public participation events to educate community members on the use of CDBG funding. Still some residents provided unusable suggestions during the community meetings or in the priority funding survey comment section. These suggestions are summarized in the Citizen Participation Comments Appendix. Summary

As the city enters into its sixth year of being an Entitlement, it will continue to fund projects that are in compliance with the goals and objectives outlined in this document and ensure that these meet a priority need. Collaborating with agencies that provide key services to the vulnerable, low-income population will be integral to the success in meeting the goals and priorities. Public participation will continue to be an on-going initiative to ensure that Thornton residents are aware of how the CDBG funds are being spent and that staff is continuing to work with the community to meet their needs.


The Process PR-05 Lead & Responsible Agencies - 91.200(b)

Describe agency/entity responsible for preparing the Consolidated Plan and those responsible for administration of each grant program and funding source

Agency Role Name Department/Agency

CDBG Administrator THORNTON City Development Department- Neighborhood Services Division

Table 1– Responsible Agencies The Neighborhood Services Division within the City of Thornton is responsible for preparing Thornton’s sections of the Consolidated Plan, administering Thornton’s CDBG funds and ensuring compliance with Federal regulations. Division staff present project applications from eligible agencies or departments to City Council each year and reports regularly on the status of activities that are completed to address homelessness, affordable housing, community development and fair housing. This division resides within the City Development Department. Staff from the Finance, Contracts Administration and Legal Departments provide support, as necessary. City Council approves projects, plan submittal to HUD and substantial amendments to plans; the City Manager or the Deputy City Manager-City Development authorizes various reports to HUD. The Neighborhood Services Division works to preserve, stabilize or revitalize the neighborhoods through cooperation and collaboration with citizens, local organizations, and other city departments. The division goals are to maintain a clean and attractive standard for the community through code compliance activities; facilitate community development; and coordinate programs that ensure balanced, affordable and fair housing in the city. To achieve these goals as well as the goals of CDBG, Neighborhood Services staff work with the other city departments, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and civic organizations to overcome challenges that the low-income and special needs populations face. These agencies are identified in the Consultation section of the Consolidated Plan. Neighborhood Services also coordinates with Adams County on the assignment of Thornton’s portion of HOME funds. These projects are approved by City Council each year; the county is responsible for conducting the public hearing and public comment period as the administrator of HOME funds. Consolidated Plan Public Contact Information Lane Smyth, CDBG Coordinator 303-538-7296 [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


PR-10 Consultation - 91.100, 91.200(b), 91.215(l) Introduction

Collaborating with private and nonprofit service providers, advocacy agencies, housing developers, and other key stakeholders that serve the low-income population creates a stronger force for addressing issues such as homelessness or near-homelessness. For this reason, the city reached out to agencies that serve these populations during the public participation process in an effort to collect an accurate definition of the needs of the low-income and special populations and to confirm the city’s desire to coordinate on future solutions to issues experienced by these populations. Provide a concise summary of the jurisdiction’s activities to enhance coordination between public and assisted housing providers and private and governmental health, mental health and service agencies (91.215(I)).

The Neighborhood Services Division spent several months speaking with housing, health, and education providers and internal city departments when compiling information for the Housing Needs Assessment and the Consolidated Plan. The goal of the consultations was to determine the needs in the community that were not being adequately addressed and ways in which coordination between the entities could be enhanced. Staff took this information to a City Council study session and hosted public meetings to discuss the most urgent needs in the community. Moving forward, Thornton will continue to be an active participant in regional efforts with public and private housing, health and social service agencies in order to keep abreast of changing demographics, new trends, patterns or programs that impact vulnerable populations, and ideas to overcome challenges low-income people face in Thornton. This includes the regional planning initiatives by the Denver Regional Council of Governments, connecting businesses and nonprofit organizations, and supporting efforts that help low and moderate income residents become more self-sufficient, such as a veterans resources fair. The city will continue to collaborate with local agencies, such as Community of Faith United, Center for People with Disabilities, Food for Hope, and businesses to assist in developing a community that supports people of all incomes. Neighborhood Services will also continue collaboration efforts with other city departments that work with these agencies or provide services to specific populations like the Victims Advocate Division and Community Services who work with seniors, youth and low-income populations. The Thornton Partnership for Multifamily Communities has been very successful in increasing communication efforts between Police, Neighborhood Services and housing managers of apartments and manufactured home parks. In addition, Neighborhood Services will continue to coordinate meetings between other city staff and affordable housing developers, nonprofits and businesses who are looking to expand their presence in Thornton. As the administrator of the Thornton CDBG funds, Neighborhood Services will proactively reach out to organizations and departments that have or are considering projects intended to fill an unmet need to discuss how CDBG or other funding mechanisms might be used to assist with their activities. Also, staff will explain the processes and requirements associated with different funding options. This will help to increase the capacity of the local agencies to serve the low and moderate income populations. Describe coordination with the Continuum of Care and efforts to address the needs of homeless persons (particularly chronically homeless individuals and families, families with children, veterans, and unaccompanied youth) and persons at-risk of homelessness


The city keeps abreast of local homeless programs, services, and outreach efforts through the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI), the Continuum of Care provider for a seven-county area including Adams County. Recent efforts by MDHI, such as the landlord campaign and the rapid entry pilot project, will increase communication between nonprofits targeting similar issues, the private and public market and residents who seek these services by streamlining access to information. The city views its role as a promoter and supporter of efforts to help people, nonprofit organizations and private organizations connect into this system.

The city supports public and nonprofit initiatives to address homelessness. There is political support for these efforts; the Metro Mayor Caucus, of which the City of Thornton Mayor is a member, has defined homelessness as a topic they want to address in their communities. In the past, the city participated in the Homeless to Home Partnership meetings between local homeless and housing providers, school district liaisons, and municipalities as well as amended the city code to allow for churches involved with the Adams County Cold Weather Care program to shelter people overnight on an emergency basis. Each year the city funds agencies that provide for the basic needs of Thornton residents and contribute to their self-sufficiency through Thornton Assistance Funds (TAF); approximately 27 agencies receive funding annually and serve about 5,400 people with these funds. Also, the city has brochures and a special section of the website listing basic need resources, such as food, health, housing, and transportation.

Neighborhood Services works with other departments to educate them and the community on resources. For example, Neighborhood Services helped the Police Department craft a brochure with resources to provide to people they encounter sleeping in their cars or outside. Also, Neighborhood Services staff wrote a story for the business newsletter to let local businesses know how they can assist homeless service providers. Recently, staff suggested definitions for the term “shelter”, which is currently not in the city code.

Describe consultation with the Continuum(s) of Care that serves the jurisdiction's area in determining how to allocate ESG funds, develop performance standards and evaluate outcomes, and develop funding, policies and procedures for the administration of HMIS

This section is not applicable because the City of Thornton does not receive Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds.

Describe Agencies, groups, organizations and others who participated in the process and describe the jurisdictions consultations with housing, social service agencies and other entities


Table 2– Agencies, groups, organizations who participated 1 Agency/Group/Organization ADAMS COUNTY

Agency/Group/Organization Type Child Welfare Agency Other government - County Veterans

What section of the Plan was addressed by Consultation?

Homelessness Needs - Veterans Non-Homeless Special Needs Market Analysis Anti-poverty Strategy


How was the Agency/Group/ Organization consulted and what are the anticipated outcomes of the consultation or areas for improved coordination?

The City of Thornton consulted with several Adams County departments including, Planning, Human Services, the Community and Neighborhood Services Advisory Board, Veterans Services, and the Community and Neighborhood Resources Division. Staff from Planning, Human Services, and the Community and Neighborhood Services Advisory Board participated in a meeting with service providers co-facilitated by the City of Thornton and Adams County. Representatives from 24 agencies that provide services in the areas of housing, health, homeless, advocacy, education, neighborhood engagement, community development, fair housing, human services, and substance abuse attended. Service providers were asked to provide input on the needs of their clients and the community related to three areas: housing, public services and public facilities. Then agencies split into groups that most closely aligned with their mission to discuss the needs that impact their clients’ ability to be successful or the agency's ability to effectively serve their clients. The information identified helped develop the priority needs for the Consolidated Plan. Adams County and City of Thornton staff interviewed the Veterans Service Officer in the Adams County Veterans Service Office. This office provides advisory, referral and processing services to county veterans, widows and dependents pertaining to veteran’s benefits and rights and is a liaison to other agencies who serve veterans. The biggest challenge for their clients is working with the VA, getting housing assistance, employment and transportation. Areas for improved coordination would include educating the staff that works with veterans and the veteran population on resources that are available in these areas. Having a one-stop shop or guide would be beneficial. The City and County will continue to work together to determine how best to address the regional needs and leverage support and resources.

2 Agency/Group/Organization ADAMS COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY

Agency/Group/Organization Type PHA Services – Housing


Housing Need Assessment Public Housing Needs



The agency was interviewed by the city's consultant for the Housing Needs Assessment (HNA) and Analysis of Impediments. The information provided was used to develop the HNA and helped guide the 2015 - 2019 Consolidated Plan. The agency also participated in a service provider meeting co-facilitated between the City of Thornton and Adams County. Representatives from 24 agencies that provide services in the areas of housing, health, homeless, advocacy, education, neighborhood engagement, community development, fair housing, human services, and substance abuse attended. Service providers were asked to provide input on the needs of their clients and the community related to three areas: housing, public services and public facilities. Then agencies split into groups that most closely aligned with their mission to discuss the needs that impact their clients’ ability to be successful or the agency's ability to effectively serve their clients. The information identified helped develop the priority needs for the Consolidated Plan. Neighborhood Services works with staff from ACHA regularly to partner in the construction of new or rehabilitation of existing affordable housing, with homebuyer workshops and down payment assistance programs, and on developing programs that move people towards self-sufficiency. Currently, the city and ACHA are working on increasing tenant based rental assistance.

3 Agency/Group/Organization THE SENIOR HUB, INC. Agency/Group/Organization Type Services-Elderly Persons What section of the Plan was addressed by Consultation?

Housing Need Assessment Non-Homeless Special Needs



The agency was interviewed by the city's consultant for the Housing Needs Assessment and Analysis of Impediments. The information provided was used to develop the HNA and helped guide the 2015 - 2019 Consolidated Plan. The agency also participated in a service provider meeting co-facilitated between the City of Thornton and Adams County. Representatives from 24 agencies that provide services in the areas of housing, health, homeless, advocacy, education, neighborhood engagement, community development, fair housing, human services, and substance abuse attended. Service providers were asked to provide input on the needs of their clients and the community related to three areas: housing, public services and public facilities. Then agencies split into groups that most closely aligned with their mission to discuss the needs that impact their clients’ ability to be successful or the agency's ability to effectively serve their clients. The information identified helped develop the priority needs for the Consolidated Plan.

4 Agency/Group/Organization COLORADO COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS (CCH)

Agency/Group/Organization Type

Housing Services-homeless Services-Education Services-Employment


Housing Need Assessment Homelessness Strategy Homeless Needs - Chronically homeless Homeless Needs - Families with children Non-Homeless Special Needs Market Analysis Anti-poverty Strategy


The agency was interviewed by the city's consultant for the Housing Needs Assessment and Analysis of Impediments. The information provided was used to develop the HNA and helped guide the 2015 - 2019 Consolidated Plan.

5 Agency/Group/Organization GROWING HOME, INC.

Agency/Group/Organization Type Housing Services-homeless



Housing Need Assessment Homelessness Strategy Homeless Needs - Chronically homeless Homeless Needs - Families with children



6 Agency/Group/Organization Community Reach Center, Inc.


Services-Children Services-Health Health Agency Publicly Funded Institution/System of Care

What section of the Plan was addressed by Consultation? Non-Homeless Special Needs




7 Agency/Group/Organization Centura Health


Housing Services-Elderly Persons Services-Health Health Agency






8 Agency/Group/Organization CLINICA FAMILY HEALTH SERVICES

Agency/Group/Organization Type Services-Health Health Agency Publicly Funded Institution/System of Care

What section of the Plan was addressed by Consultation? Non-Homeless Special Needs


The agency participated in a service provider meeting co-facilitated between the City of Thornton and Adams County. Representatives from 24 agencies that provide services in the areas of housing, health, homeless, advocacy, education, neighborhood engagement, community development, fair housing, human services, and substance abuse attended. Service providers were asked to provide input on the needs of their clients and the community related to three areas: housing, public services and public facilities. Then agencies split into groups that most closely aligned with their mission to discuss the needs that impact their clients’ ability to be successful or the agency's ability to effectively serve their clients. The information identified helped develop the priority needs for the Consolidated Plan.

9 Agency/Group/Organization Habitat for Humanity Agency/Group/Organization Type Housing What section of the Plan was addressed by Consultation?

Housing Need Assessment Anti-poverty Strategy



10 Agency/Group/Organization THORNTON

Agency/Group/Organization Type Other government - Local Grantee Department




City staff from Code Enforcement, Current and Policy Planning and the CDBG Coordinator and Neighborhood Services Supervisor were interviewed by the city's consultant for the Housing Needs Assessment and Analysis of Impediments. The information provided was used to develop the HNA and helped guide the 2015 - 2019 Consolidated Plan.


11 Agency/Group/Organization Arising Hope

Agency/Group/Organization Type Housing Services-Victims of Domestic Violence


Housing Need Assessment Homelessness Strategy Homeless Needs - Families with children



12 Agency/Group/Organization ACCESS HOUSING, INC.






13 Agency/Group/Organization ALMOST HOME INC.



Housing Need Assessment Homelessness Strategy Homeless Needs - Families with children




14 Agency/Group/Organization Center for People with Disabilities

Agency/Group/Organization Type Services-Persons with Disabilities Service-Fair Housing Disability Rights Advocacy




The agency was interviewed by the city's consultant for the Housing Needs Assessment and Analysis of Impediments. The information provided was used to develop the HNA and helped guide the 2015 - 2019 Consolidated Plan. A representative from the agency also participated in the focus group facilitated by the city for individuals with disabilities that is discussed in the public participation section.

15 Agency/Group/Organization The Link

Agency/Group/Organization Type Services-Children Child Welfare Agency


Housing Need Assessment Homelessness Needs - Unaccompanied youth




16 Agency/Group/Organization Mapleton Public Schools

Agency/Group/Organization Type Services-Children Services-Education


Housing Need Assessment Homeless Needs - Families with children



17 Agency/Group/Organization Adams 12 Five Star Schools






18 Agency/Group/Organization Brighton 27J School District






19 Agency/Group/Organization COMMERCE CITY COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE


Services-Children Services-Health Services-Education Civic Leaders Neighborhood Organization


What section of the Plan was addressed by Consultation? Housing Need Assessment



20 Agency/Group/Organization Denver Metro Board of Realtors

Agency/Group/Organization Type Housing Business Leaders

What section of the Plan was addressed by Consultation? Housing Need Assessment



21 Agency/Group/Organization Community of Faith Agency/Group/Organization Type Services-homeless






22 Agency/Group/Organization A Precious Child Agency/Group/Organization Type Services-Children What section of the Plan was addressed by Consultation? Market Analysis



23 Agency/Group/Organization Adams County Youth Advocate Programs Agency/Group/Organization Type Services-Children What section of the Plan was addressed by Consultation? Market Analysis



24 Agency/Group/Organization Arapahoe House

Agency/Group/Organization Type Publicly Funded Institution/System of Care Substance Abuse Treatment


Non-Homeless Special Needs Market Analysis




25 Agency/Group/Organization Arc of Adams County Agency/Group/Organization Type Services-Persons with Disabilities What section of the Plan was addressed by Consultation?



A representative from the agency participated in the focus group hosted by the city for individuals with disabilities that is discussed in the public participation section.

26 Agency/Group/Organization Audio Information Network of Colorado Agency/Group/Organization Type Services-Persons with Disabilities What section of the Plan was addressed by Consultation?




27 Agency/Group/Organization Coal Creek Adult Education Center Agency/Group/Organization Type Services-Education



Economic Development Anti-poverty Strategy



28 Agency/Group/Organization Corinthian College

Agency/Group/Organization Type Services-Education Major Employer


Economic Development Anti-poverty Strategy



29 Agency/Group/Organization Court Appointed Special Advocates Adams/Broomfield Agency/Group/Organization Type Services-Children What section of the Plan was addressed by Consultation?





30 Agency/Group/Organization Denver Metro Fair Housing Center Agency/Group/Organization Type Service-Fair Housing


Housing Need Assessment Market Analysis Analysis of Impediments


The agency participated in a service provider meeting co-facilitated between the City of Thornton and Adams County. Representatives from 24 agencies that provide services in the areas of housing, health, homeless, advocacy, education, neighborhood engagement, community development, fair housing, human services, and substance abuse attended. Service providers were asked to provide input on the needs of their clients and the community related to three areas: housing, public services and public facilities. Then agencies split into groups that most closely aligned with their mission to discuss the needs that impact their clients’ ability to be successful or the agency's ability to effectively serve their clients. The information identified helped develop the priority needs for the Consolidated Plan. The agency also met with city staff to discuss and provide input on the draft Housing Needs Assessment; city staff clarified and added additional information in the Analysis of Impediments based on the recommendations made by the agency.


31 Agency/Group/Organization Early Childhood Partnership of Adams County


Services-Children Services-Persons with Disabilities Services-Health Services-Education Health Agency


Non-Homeless Special Needs Anti-poverty Strategy



32 Agency/Group/Organization US Department of Housing and Urban Development Agency/Group/Organization Type Other government - Federal What section of the Plan was addressed by Consultation?

Housing Need Assessment Analysis of Impediments


Thornton’s Community Planning and Development Representative from HUD attended the focus group facilitated by the city for individuals with disabilities. The city also provided a draft copy of the Housing Needs Assessment and Analysis of Impediments to the Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity staff person for review.

33 Agency/Group/Organization Servicios de la Raza Agency/Group/Organization Type Service-Fair Housing What section of the Plan was addressed by Consultation? Market Analysis




34 Agency/Group/Organization Universal Lending Agency/Group/Organization Type Lender What section of the Plan was addressed by Consultation?

Housing Need Assessment Market Analysis



35 Agency/Group/Organization Metro Denver Homeless Initiative

Agency/Group/Organization Type Continuum of Care (CoC) Regional Organization Planning Organization


Homeless Strategy Homeless Needs – Chronically Homeless Homeless Needs – Families with Children Homeless Needs – Veterans Homeless Needs – Unaccompanied Youth


City staff met with the Executive Director of MDHI to discuss the needs in community, current initiatives being undertaken by MDHI, the agency's goals and primary focuses and how the city and MDHI can effectively collaborate and support each other. The agencies recently began to share information in an effort to outreach and provide resources to the community.

36 Agency/Group/Organization Colorado Civil Rights Division Agency/Group/Organization Type Other Government - State


What section of the Plan was addressed by Consultation? Housing Needs Assessment


Data on fair housing complaints in Thornton compiled by this agency was used when developing the Housing Needs Assessment to evaluate previously identified impediments to fair housing and to identify new impediments for this Consolidated Plan.

37 Agency/Group/Organization Colorado Department of Education Agency/Group/Organization Type Other Government - State What section of the Plan was addressed by Consultation? Housing Needs Assessment


The Housing Needs Assessment incorporated data from this agency on school enrollment and demographics, as well as McKinney-Vento information on homeless students in Thornton’s school districts to define the changing demographics of the homeless and near-homeless populations in Thornton.

38 Agency/Group/Organization Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Child Welfare Services Agency/Group/Organization Type Other Government - State What section of the Plan was addressed by Consultation? Housing Needs Assessment


The Housing Needs Assessment included data from this agency on youth entering and exiting the foster care system in Thornton and Adams County to evaluate the services for and needs of at-risk youth.

39 Agency/Group/Organization Colorado Division of Housing Agency/Group/Organization Type Other Government - State What section of the Plan was addressed by Consultation? Housing Needs Assessment


The Housing Needs Assessment included data from this agency on housing and utility costs, which were used in developing the housing gap analysis.

40 Agency/Group/Organization Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Agency/Group/Organization Type Other Government - State What section of the Plan was addressed by Consultation?

Housing Needs Assessment Lead-based Paint Strategy



The Housing Needs Assessment and Consolidated Plan included data from this agency on persons living with HIV/AIDS and those at-risk for lead-based paint, which was used to evaluate the housing and service needs of this population.

41 Agency/Group/Organization Colorado Housing and Finance Authority

Agency/Group/Organization Type Services – Housing Regional Organization Public Enterprise/Lender

What section of the Plan was addressed by Consultation? Housing Needs Assessment


The Housing Needs Assessment utilized data from this agency on down payment assistance in Thornton, and affordable housing in neighboring communities to support findings on housing needs in Thornton.

Identify any Agency Types not consulted and provide rationale for not consulting

No organizations were intentionally excluded from the consultation process. In fact, 340 agencies were invited to the service provider meeting held at Adams County conference center, but not all agencies attended. In addition, during the development of the Housing Needs Assessment, the consultant reached out to developers, real estate representatives, school districts liaisons, nonprofits, and housing professionals.


Other local/Regional/State/Federal planning efforts considered when preparing the Plan

Name of Plan Lead Organization How do the goals of your Strategic Plan overlap with the goals of each plan?

Continuum of Care Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI)

Similar to the City of Thornton’s strategic plan, MDHI’s goals are aimed at supporting at-risk and currently homeless individuals and families by increasing:

• The availability of stable housing; • The incomes of individuals through employment by addressing the challenges/benefits of

employment, improving coordination with local workforce centers and developing a data base of employment specialists and employment projects;

• The number of participants obtaining mainstream benefits; and • Support to and coordination of agencies that regularly discharge people into homelessness

(i.e. foster care, mental health, health agencies, etc.). The specific goals established by MDHI based on input from the seven counties include: 1. Target resources for populations in need; 2. Identify resources to better meet supportive service needs; 3. Stronger regional data; 4. Increase regional coverage of Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) grant services; 5. Improve access to resources/establish front door efficiencies; and 6. Increase housing resources.

Station Area Master (STAMP) Plans

City of Thornton – Policy Planning

The city’s Station Area Master Plans analyze the needs around the proposed commuter rail stations in Thornton. Based on information obtained through qualitative and quantitative data, including public input, the plans outline the most beneficial and comprehensive land uses including a mix of housing and facilities for each of the stations. Two of the stations fall within the CDBG-eligible neighborhoods and include vacant parcels that could provide additional housing opportunities, community facilities or schools for the low-income population.

Comprehensive Plan

City of Thornton - Policy Planning

The Comprehensive Plan was updated in 2012 and overlaps with the Consolidated Plan by establishing major strategies and key policies for Thornton's neighborhoods, future jobs, and potential amenities for city residents. It also serves as an advisory document for development in the city. This Plan gives a broad overview of how the city will grow, and where future development or redevelopment will occur. Table 3– Other local / regional / federal planning efforts


Describe cooperation and coordination with other public entities, including the State and any adjacent units of general local government, in the implementation of the Consolidated Plan (91.215(l))

The City of Thornton worked with Adams County to coordinate outreach efforts in obtaining public input and conducting consultation. The jurisdictions co-facilitated outreach efforts in an attempt to diminish overlap and expand the outreach provided to the community. This included the service provider meeting, community meetings with specific populations, a focus group with the senior population and consultation with MDHI. The entities also shared information, data and reports obtained through each respective jurisdiction's research efforts to ensure that there was not duplication of efforts and that information between jurisdictions was not contradictory. Looking towards the future, Thornton will continue coordination with Adams County to evaluate the needs of the community and where commonalities exist, as well as collaborating on funding to ensure all residents living in the county have access to the same service. In the past, the Thornton and Federal Heights, a city that shares a border with Thornton, used CDBG funds to complete a project that crossed jurisdictional boundaries. The city is open to taking part of a collaborative process should the opportunity present itself again.

PR-15 Citizen Participation - 91.401, 91.105, 91.200(c) Summary of citizen participation process/Efforts made to broaden citizen participation

Summarize citizen participation process and how it impacted goal-setting

The city made a concerted effort to ensure the participation of low-income and special needs individuals in the development of the Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan. The efforts were conducted over the span of over 18 months in an attempt to get a comprehensive and accurate gauge of the true needs in the Thornton community. The first effort was during the development of the 2014 Housing Needs Assessment which included multiple surveys and interviews with key stakeholders as well as an evaluation of the housing and community development data from a wide variety of sources. The second effort focused around the needs of the low-income population and included a series of public outreach efforts that primarily focused on resident input with a secondary focus on the consultation with service providers. Both of these efforts provided the city with a comprehensive data set that represented both qualitative and quantitative information. The priority survey that was completed by residents during the outreach efforts helped to set the stage for developing the high and low priority needs which in turn were used to develop the goals and objectives for the CDBG program over the next five years. The third effort was the public hearing and public comment period for the Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan.


Citizen Participation Outreach

1

Mode of Outreach Internet Outreach

Target of Outreach Non-English Speaking - Specify other language: Spanish Non-targeted/broad community

Summary of response/ attendance

The city conducted a city-wide survey in English and Spanish for the HNA. Five hundred and ninety four responses were received, two of which were Spanish.

Summary of comments received

An online resident survey in English and Spanish was created and made available to residents. A flyer for the survey was distributed to residents by the City of Thornton via utility billing (sent to approximately 32,000 households), and flyers for the survey were posted at public buildings, including the city’s utility billing counter, recreation center, and libraries. The city published a public information advertisement for the survey in the local newspaper. The survey asked questions about household members, incomes, jobs, homes, and perception of housing needs in Thornton. Overall, survey respondents reported a high level of satisfaction with the condition of their homes and relatively low need for major repairs, although this need was higher in the older areas of the city. One third of the respondents stated that they believe that there is a certain housing type missing in Thornton, with the highest perceived need for age-restricted housing for people over 55 years of age. Responses indicated a higher than average share of households with someone with a disability (15% compared to 7% for the city as a whole), but a relatively low number of house with accessibility features to address disabilities.

Summary of comments not accepted and reasons

Seventeen housing surveys received were from individuals that lived outside of Thornton. For this reason, the surveys were not included in the city's analysis of public comments and the surveys were forwarded on to the individual's respective jurisdiction.

URL (If applicable)

2

Mode of Outreach Internet Outreach Target of Outreach Other: Realtors, Lenders and Housing Providers Summary of response/ attendance The survey was completed by 19 individuals anonymously.



The city created and administered an online survey for real estate, banking, lending, and housing service providers. A letter with a link to the survey was mailed to 38 banks and financial institutions, emails were sent to seven housing providers, and a short article on the survey was sent in the Denver Metro Association of Realtors’ January newsletter. The survey was announced at the January meeting of property managers and a link to the survey was emailed to 48 apartment complexes, Home Owners Associations, and property managers. All (100%) of the respondents stated that they were aware of fair housing laws, and most (79%) reported that their place of work provided them with regular training on the topic. Respondents also reported that they communicate information about fair housing law and homeownership assistance programs to clients (as applicable to their jobs).


None

URL (If applicable)

3

Mode of Outreach Internet Outreach Target of Outreach Other: Housing Developers Summary of response/ attendance The survey was taken by five anonymous respondents.


The city circulated a survey for housing developers focused on housing demand, gaps, and needs in Thornton. Twenty-two developers with experience working in Thornton were emailed information with a link to the survey. Overall, respondents identified the biggest demand currently for moderately priced ($350,000 max) single-family attached and detached homes. The biggest need or gap in Thornton’s housing supply was for single-family attached/multifamily ownership options, as well as for affordable rentals for families and seniors. The barriers to development mentioned by survey respondents included the state construction defects law for condominiums and the cost of city tap fees.


None

URL (If applicable)

4

Mode of Outreach Public Meeting Target of Outreach Seniors


The City of Thornton and Adams County co-facilitated a focus group at the Senior Hub, a local nonprofit focused on advancing the quality of life for older adults through advocacy, community partnerships, and a variety of direct services. Nine seniors that live or work in Adams County participated in the focus group. The goal was to have seniors identify needs within the Adams County-Thornton-Westminster Consortium.



Top concerns: - Maintenance of homes; - Accessibility of housing; - Affordability of housing for all populations, including building new housing or subsidizing current

housing; - Educating families on supporting seniors; - Providing more affordable housing for independent senior living; - Developing a resource list of available services; - Increasing in home care services to allow seniors to age in place; - Outreaching to people in need of help.

Secondary concerns: - Providing transportation to services such as doctor appointments to allow seniors to age in place; - Improving the timeliness of transportation services.


None

URL (If applicable)

5

Mode of Outreach Public Meeting

Target of Outreach Non-English Speaking - Specify other language: Spanish Residents of Public and Assisted Housing


The City of Thornton and Adams County co-facilitated a focus group at the Creekside Apartment complex. The complex is owned by Adams County Housing Authority, the local public housing authority. Eighteen residents that live subsidized housing participated in the focus group. The goal of the meeting was to have the residents identify needs within the Adams County-Thornton-Westminster Consortium for people living in subsidized housing. Additionally, Spanish interpretation was provided for one resident.



Top Concerns: - Increase the safety of current housing; - Increase the affordability of housing through new developments and subsidizing current housing; - Educate landlords on rental subsidy requirements and restrictions and about renting to low-income

families. Medium Concerns:

- Provide education to residents on available resources; - Support agencies that help residents navigate getting assistance (i.e. applying for food stamps); - Increase the amenities at the current complexes; - Support agencies that help residents purchase a home through:

o Down payment assistance options o Sweat equity options like Habitat for Humanity o Rent to own options

- Identify and develop different types of low-maintenance housing options for rent or ownership like condos or townhouses.


Some of the suggestions from residents were not included in the analysis of needs in the community as it was an ineligible use of CDBG funds or it had already been addressed, but the residents were unaware of the program or project. In the event a suggestion was not able to be addressed using CDBG, city staff tried to provide other avenues and referrals to address the issue. The items suggested that were not included in the analysis are as follows: - Having the city provide maps with locations of parks. The city currently provides a map that lists all of the parks and open trails within the city, which is available online and in city offices. - Providing opportunities for residents from Adams County Housing Authority complexes to meet. This request was not something that could be funded using CDBG. It was suggested that the residents talk to their management about organizing an opportunity for residents from different complexes. - Increase the amenities at complexes, like bike racks, trash receptacles and ash trays. In general, this request is not eligible for CDBG since the improvements would not directly impact the housing structure and the grounds are not open to the public. Some of the items could potentially be eligible for CDBG as part of a larger rehabilitation project.

URL (If applicable)

6 Mode of Outreach Public Meeting Target of Outreach Persons with disabilities



The City of Thornton facilitated a focus group for individuals with disabilities. The city invited local organizations that serve people with disabilities including, Center for People with Disabilities, ARC of Adams County and the Audio Information Network. Four people participated in the focus group. Two of the individuals were people with disabilities; the other individuals were staff from ARC of Adams County and Center for People with Disabilities, whom represent 240 Thornton clients. The goal of the meeting was to have the residents and service providers identify needs within the Adams County-Thornton-Westminster Consortium for people with disabilities. The HUD Community Planning and Development representative attended to listen to the discussion.



The residents were asked to discuss the most pressing needs for the community in each of the following categories: - Housing:

- Support programs that provide emergency assistance to residents for rent and utilities; - Support programs that help subsidize the cost of housing; - Support the development of affordable and transitional housing; - Support housing that provides wrap around services; - Support programs that provide low or no cost home repair to homeowners, including those living in manufactured homes; - Support programs that provide accessibility improvements to homes; - Support the development of affordable housing in the northern section of the city; - Help provide education to landlords on fair housing and disability rights; - Support housing for people with behavioral health issues;

- Public Facilities- Public Infrastructure: - Provide more audible traffic signals, especially at busy intersections; - Install ramps at RTD stops;

- Public Services: - Support low or no cost mental and behavioral health services; - Support health programs such as mobile medical and dental programs, vision testing for adults; - Educate residents and agencies on available resources; - Support meal programs such as Meals on Wheels; - Support day programs and educational programs that meet the needs of the disabled population; - Support programs that are aimed at preventing youth with disabilities from entering the judicial system; - Provide transportation; - Provide ongoing services for disabled youth transitioning out of school.

- Economic Development : - Provide job skills training to disabled youth and adults; - Provide incentives and opportunities for people with disabilities; - Educate new and existing businesses about ADA compliance.



Although some of the suggestions from participants could be addressed in individual projects, they were not included in the overall analysis of needs in the community because they were focused on modifying the current ADA requirements. The items suggested that were not included in the analysis are as follows: - Develop a universal bathroom design to be used in all public restrooms to aid visually impaired individuals in determining where bathroom features are located (i.e. toilets, sinks, etc.); - Install the handicap accessible stalls nearest to the entrance of the restroom for easy access; - Increase the size of handicap parking spaces to accommodate handicap accessible vans; - Install parking at retail stores for people with disabilities that are not eligible to receive a handicap parking pass, similar to parking for expectant mothers.

URL (If applicable)

7

Mode of Outreach Other: Survey Drop boxes

Target of Outreach

Minorities Non-English Speaking - Specify other language: Spanish Non-targeted/broad community Homeless



In an attempt to outreach to vulnerable populations to get input on the needs in the community, Neighborhood Services provided local nonprofits and other city departments with copies of surveys that asked which areas were a high priority to address using CDBG funds. Surveys were created in English and Spanish and each agency was provided with a drop box for their clients to submit completed surveys. City staff left the drop boxes at ten locations for nearly a month. Surveys were also distributed via the outreach efforts in the tables below. The combined outreach efforts of the survey distribution resulted in 145 residents completing a survey, of which 4% of the respondents were mono-lingual Spanish speakers. The locations included: - Access Housing, a nonprofit that provides short-term shelter, case management, financial assistance for basic needs and self-sufficiency programs to homeless individuals and families. - Growing Home, a nonprofit that provides housing, a food pantry, parenting skills training, and access to basic medical care to homeless individuals and families. - Almost Home, a nonprofit that provides emergency shelter, affordable housing, rental and utility assistance and GED classes and testing to homeless individuals and families. - Colorado Coalition for the Homeless Renaissance 88 Apartments, an apartment complex that provides permanent supportive housing and wrap-around services to formerly homeless families and individuals with disabilities. - Clinica Family Health Services’ Thornton clinic - A nonprofit facility that provides low-income residents health care on a sliding fee scale, including a full spectrum of medical services, behavioral health care, dental care and pharmacy. - Thornton Senior Center – a city facility located in south Thornton that provides programs to help support seniors who want to remain independent and in their own homes. Programs include nutritional meals, health screenings, education, information and referrals, Medicare assistance, fitness classes, and off site activities. - Thornton Community Center - a city facility located in south Thornton that provides recreational programs for youth and adults in the area. - Thornton Civic Center – this is building is the site of Council meetings, and several departments which residents frequent to conduct business, including Utility Billing, City Development and Building Inspections.


To see a summary of all of the survey results received through the different outreach efforts, refer to the Citizen Participation Comments Appendices.



All of the surveys submitted by Thornton residents were included in the analysis of priority needs. In some instances however, non-Thornton residents completed the survey. In those cases the survey was forwarded to the individual's respective jurisdiction so it could be included in their analysis of needs. In other cases, some residents included suggestions in the comments section of the survey that were an ineligible use of CDBG funds, not applicable to CDBG, or the issue had already been addressed but the resident was unaware of the program. In those cases, their survey results were included in the analysis of public comments, but their suggestions were not.

URL (If applicable)

8

Mode of Outreach Internet Outreach

Target of Outreach Minorities Non-English Speaking - Specify other language: Spanish Non-targeted/broad community


In an attempt to outreach to additional residents, the City of Thornton posted fillable English and Spanish versions of the priority survey on its website. The survey asked residents to indicate which priority needs should be addressed using CDBG funds. The city allowed residents to submit surveys for nearly a month. Surveys were also distributed via the outreach efforts as described in the tables above and below. The combined outreach efforts of the survey distribution resulted in 145 residents completing a survey, of which 4% of the respondents were mono-lingual Spanish speakers.





URL (If applicable)

9

Mode of Outreach Booth at Harvest Fest

Target of Outreach Minorities Non-English Speaking - Specify other language: Spanish Speaking Non-targeted/broad community



The City of Thornton holds annual festivals for residents. At many of the festivals, the city has a tent in which residents can come and talk to specific departments regarding questions, issues or concerns they have. This year Neighborhood Services had an area dedicated for residents to complete project prioritization surveys and learn about CDBG funds and the five year strategic plan. The surveys were provided in both English and Spanish. Surveys were also distributed via the outreach efforts as described in the tables above and below. The combined outreach efforts of the survey distribution resulted in 145 residents completing a survey, of which 4% of the respondents were mono-lingual Spanish speakers. This particular effort resulted in the highest number of surveys being completed.





URL (If applicable)

10

Mode of Outreach Public Meeting

Target of Outreach Minorities Non-English Speaking - Specify other language: Spanish Non-targeted/broad community


The City of Thornton hosted an open house to discuss the CDBG funds and the five year strategic plan. Residents were provided information on how and where CDBG funds had been used in the past, what CDBG funds could be used for and an explanation of the five year strategic plan and public outreach requirements. Residents also had the opportunity to fill out a survey indicating the priority of different activities that could be funded with CDBG. The surveys were provided in both English and Spanish. Surveys were also distributed via the outreach efforts as described in the tables above. The combined outreach efforts of the survey distribution resulted in 145 residents completing a survey, of which 4% of the respondents were mono-lingual Spanish speakers. Twelve residents attended the open house.






URL (If applicable)

11

Mode of Outreach Other – Public Comment Period - HNA Target of Outreach Non-targeted/broad community


The Housing Needs Assessment was posted on the city website in August 2014 for residents to read and provide feedback. All local agencies interviewed for the Assessment as well as the HUD FHEO staff were notified that the draft Assessment was available to review. Three comments were received.


The first comment was from the Homeless Education Liaison at the Adams 12 School District, “I've read the report and it is outstanding. Thank you for the hard work you've put into this and for the work you do for the citizens of Thornton.” The second comment was from the Denver Metro Fair Housing Center (DMFHC) staff on the Analysis of Impediments section, which discusses actual or potential housing discrimination. DMFHC staff suggested that Thornton should consider an in-depth study on whether minorities are being steered towards housing in south Thornton or denied home mortgages because of their race or ethnicity. City staff welcomed DMFHC to study the issue in Thornton and Adams County and strengthened the recommendation in the document to support HUD-certified homebuyer education for all Thornton residents, including minorities, to overcome this perceived barrier. The third comment was from the Equal Opportunity Specialist at FHEO who expressed a concern regarding the language in the city’s Development Code, Section 18-228 on group homes, specifically “persons being kept shall not be bedfast or suffering from a communicable disease and “no group home established for the aged or persons with mental illness shall be established within 750 feet of another such group home“. Based upon this feedback, the city will review and consider removing the language to ensure that the development code does not violate the rights of any protected class under the Fair Housing Act or Colorado law.


None

URL (If applicable)

12 Mode of Outreach Other – Public Comment Period – Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan Target of Outreach Non-targeted/broad community


Summary of response/ attendance No public comments were received

Summary of comments received None


Not Applicable

URL (If applicable)

13

Mode of Outreach Public Hearing Target of Outreach Non-targeted/broad community Summary of response/ attendance No residents signed up to speak at the public hearing for the Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan.

Summary of comments received No public comments were received.


Not Applicable

URL (If applicable) Table 4– Citizen Participation Outreach


Needs Assessment NA-05 Overview Needs Assessment Overview

Thornton is the most populous city in Adams County, and the sixth most populous in the state. Located approximately ten miles north of downtown Denver and adjacent to Interstate 25, Thornton has easy access to various transportation routes. It continues to be an affordable place to live with families making up the largest composition of the community. Thornton has many opportunities for future development with five of the six commuter rail stops coming into the city, major road networks being constructed in the north, many large parcels of land being evaluated for new residential and commercial development. The city will monitor how this growth will impact the needs of the low-income community through the Annual Action Plans and end of year reports that are submitted to HUD.

The Housing Needs Assessment and feedback from the Thornton community have indicated a need for more balanced housing options. The following findings were identified:

• There is not a variety of housing options or housing at different price points dispersed equally throughout the city. The majority of affordable housing is located south of 120th.

• There is a limited availability of homes for sale for lower income people. People making less than 80% of the area median income may have a challenge finding a home they can afford.

• The demand for affordable rental housing for low to extremely low residents is greater than the supply.

• There is appears to be a high demand for assisted living units, independent living with services and memory care at a lower price point.

• There is a need for more housing that is fully accessible to people with disabilities.

Since many of these findings are tied directly to the private real estate market, the city will need to explore various means to address these challenges. Ideas could include supporting agencies that provide subsidized housing through tenant based rental assistance or housing vouchers; funding down payment assistance programs; educating residents on the housing resources that are available to them; and incentivizing developers to provide affordable housing in the northern area of Thornton located near transit, employment and supportive services. Thornton will build upon existing relationships as well as develop new ones with agencies that can help address these needs.

NA-10 to NA -45 – Housing Needs Assessment

Demographics and Number of Households

According to city data on the third quarter of 2014, the population is 123,244 and comprised of approximately 38,570 households. Thornton’s median income is $60,972, which is higher than the median income throughout the county or state. The median age in Thornton is 32.5, which is the same as the Adams County and lower than the state median age. The age groups with the largest population numbers are children age five to nine, and those 30 to 35. Generation X, people born between 1965 and 1984 represent the largest portion of the population at just over 31%. Although the Baby Boom


Generation, those born between 1946 and 1964, comprise only 18% percent of the population, this segment of the population has grown the most since 2000. Only 11% of households include someone between 62 and 74 years old and less than 5% of households have a member who is 75 or older. Nearly 55% of Thornton’s population is made up of small families (2-4 members) and almost 23% of the households include children under the age of six. The majority of Thornton’s population identifies themselves as white, non-Hispanic (54%) and part of a married-couple family (52%). The next largest percentage of the population in the city identifies themselves as Hispanic (34%) and non-family households (30%). Just less than two percent (2%) of the population is African American and another 5.7% are Asian. Roughly fifteen percent (15.7%) of the population identifies themselves as some other race or two or more races. Racial and ethnic minorities are growing at a faster rate compared to Caucasian residents and the population as a whole. In Thornton, 8.8% of residents, or 10,764 persons, live below the federal poverty level. This is lower than the poverty rate found in Adams County and the state. The majority of these individuals are concentrated in the southern sections of Thornton. American Community Survey (ACS) data indicates that nearly 23% of Hispanic or Latino populations had not graduated high school, while only 5.5% of Caucasians hadn’t graduated. The rate of non-graduation for Hispanic/Latino populations was the highest among all races, with the other races falling between 0 and 12%. This factor is important because ACS data suggests that individuals with less than a high school diploma are almost three times more likely to fall below poverty than high school graduates and nearly ten times more likely to fall below poverty than college graduates. Most Common Housing Problems

The most common housing issues from this analysis are cost burden (more than 30 percent of income paid to housing costs), overcrowding (more than one person per room), and substandard housing (lacking complete plumbing or kitchen facilities). Cost burden and overcrowding are considered severe if the cost of housing exceeds 50% of the family’s income or if there are more than 1.5 people living in each room. Overall, renter households are more likely than owners to have one or more of the above problems. Cost burden is the greatest issue facing both renter and owner households according to Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) data. Cost burden is defined as the fraction of a household’s gross income spent on housing costs, including rent/mortgage payments, utilities, taxes and insurance. When households pay more than 30% of their income for rent or a mortgage, and utilities, they often have to cut back on other essential expenses such as healthcare, daycare, or food to make ends meet. Thirty-five percent of all Thornton households were cost burdened according to 2012 ACS data, and 43.5% of the cost burden households met the criteria for being severely cost burdened. Although the overall rates for cost burden have decreased from the previous five years, cost burden continues to more significantly impact renters and lower income households. Per ACS data, approximately 94% of all households (both owner and renter) earning $20,000 per year or less are cost burdened in Thornton. According to CHAS and ACS data, the highest numbers of cost burdened renter households are those at 30% or less of the AMI and small related households. Of the households

Income

Percent of all households that are cost burdened

Renter Owner Total

Less than $20,000 94% 96% 94%

$20,000-$34,999 80% 72% 76%

$35,000-$49,999 55% 51% 53%

$50,000-$74,999 12% 31% 25%

$75,000 or more 3% 6% 5%

Average 44% 30% 35%


that are cost burden, large related households and elderly households are less likely to be cost burden, but also make up a significantly lower percentage of the overall number of cost burden households. Data also indicates the cost burdened of owner households is found most often at somewhat higher income limits, in the 51 to 80% area median income range. Cost burdened households in Thornton are also more likely to live in the southern portion of the city,

which is consistent with concentrations of poverty and low household incomes. There are also concentrations of cost burdened households in the most northern areas of the city, where home prices tend to be higher. While crowding is the next most frequent reported housing problem according to CHAS data, it is important to note the percentage of overcrowded households in Thornton is small when compared to the entire population. Of the households that reported at least one housing problem, less than 9% of renters and 5% of owners reported that the problem was overcrowding. Of the people who reported overcrowding as an issue, nearly 16% of renters and 21% of owners met the criteria for being severely overcrowded. The largest groups of overcrowded households in Thornton were renter

households made up of one family, followed closely by single-family and multiple unrelated family owner households earning 50-80% AMI. Overcrowded families can be made up of multiple generations and extended families all living in one housing unit. Housing agencies interviewed for the Housing Needs Assessment indicated that some households have doubled up after the economic downturn, and rising housing costs have pushed some families into small housing units. According to a working paper from the Census, unmarried people, racial minorities (specifically Asians), and foreign born householders had higher odds of living in a multi-generational household. Data shows that the third most common housing problem in Thornton is substandard housing, defined as lacking complete plumbing or kitchen facilities. According to 2005-2010 CHAS data, substandard housing is experienced by 144 renter and 30 owner-occupied households with incomes at or below 100% AMI. This represents less than one half of one percent of the housing units in the city. The city’s Help for Homes and Home Repair Loan programs work to address non-functioning plumbing and kitchen facilities in owner-occupied housing for those that own their home and are over 55 years of age or have a disability. For new construction, houses cannot receive a certificate of occupancy unless they have complete plumbing and kitchen. Disproportionately Greater Needs

A disproportionate need exists when members of a racial or ethnic group at a given income level experience housing problems at a higher rate (10% or more) than the rest of population in that same income range. The data reviews the housing and household composition in Thornton to determine if there are issues with the same factors as above: cost burden, overcrowding, and substandard housing.


CHAS data indicates that in all income categories except for 51-80% AMI, Asian households have a disproportionately greater need than the population as a whole for housing problems. Additionally, African American households between 31-80% AMI and American Indian/Alaskan Native households between 51-80% AMI have disproportionate need. Similarly, CHAS data indicates that Asian households between 0-30% and 51-80% AMI, African American and Hispanic households between 31-50% AMI and American Indian/Alaskan Native households between 51-80% AMI have a disproportionately higher incidence of severe housing problems. Although the City of Thornton plans to address the apparent disproportionate needs, it is important to note that with the exception of Hispanic households between 31-50% AMI, the number of respondents for each of the above categories represented less than 5% and as little as 1% of the total number of households surveyed for that income range. Due to the small sample size, the information may not accurately depict the need for those races and may be attributed to other characteristics, such as income or family size. The data does not break down the disproportionate need for each race relative to each type of housing issue. Based on the information collected for cost burden by race and the identified needs for Thornton overall, it can be presumed that that the most substantial needs for each race are cost burden and overcrowding. According to a working paper by the Census, minority populations also have a higher likelihood of living in multi-generational housing. Asians were the most likely to live in multi-generational households, followed by African Americans and Hispanics. This is also true for foreign born households. In 2009, foreign-born households were nearly twice as likely to live in multi-generational housing as their U.S. born counterparts. Likewise, according to Census data, minority populations were nearly twice as likely to have a household with five or more members as that of their Caucasian counterparts as shown below. Housing providers interviewed for the Housing Needs Assessment substantiated this information by indicating that larger households, especially those with large extended families, have a hard time finding affordable, size appropriate units, especially immigrant families who also may not speak English.


Summary of Housing Needs

Housing affordability is a central need for people who rent and people who own homes. According to HUD, housing affordability is defined as paying no more than 30% of monthly household income for housing expenses. For renters and homeowners, housing expenses include their rent or mortgage as well as water, heat, and electricity. For homeowners, it could also include homeowners insurance and homeowner association (HOA) fees. Often, households with lower incomes have difficulty finding housing that costs less than 30% of their income. When there are more households in a community within a certain income range than there are housing units available to those individuals or families within that income range, a housing gap exists for that income range. A gap does not necessarily indicate a need to build more units, but indicates an imbalance between what is available and what households can comfortably afford. People that are in higher income ranges have more housing choices than those at lower incomes, as they can afford a wider variety of homes at different price points. A higher income household may choose to rent or purchase units with rents or prices lower than the maximum that they can afford. Therefore, households in lower income ranges compete with higher income households for low rent units.

Household Composition White/Not Hispanic

African American

American Indian/

Alaskan Native Asian

Native Hawaiian/

Other Pacific Islander

Other Race

Two or More Races

Hispanic or Latino

Total: 28,144 774 428 1,407 45 3,747 1,006 10,394

Family households: 19,598 550 329 1,175 38 3,111 738 8,474

2-person household 7,685 150 90 239 8 580 188 1,847




6-person household 627 27 22 116 3 267 45 649

7+-person household 316 17 22 91 2 211 44 513

Nonfamily households: 8,546 224 99 232 7 636 268 1,920


2-person household 1,789 39 24 50 3 145 67 431





7+-person household 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 1

Percentage of Family Households

70% 71% 77% 84% 84% 83% 73% 82%

Percentage of 5 or more people in the household

10% 17% 18% 27% 27% 28% 21% 25%

NOTE: A household that has at least one member of the household related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption is a "Family household." Same-sex couple households are included in the family households category if there is at least one additional person related to the householder by birth or adoption. Same-sex couple households with no relatives of the householder present are tabulated in nonfamily households. Responses of "same-sex spouse" were edited during processing to "unmarried partner." "Nonfamily households" consist of people living alone and households which do not have any members related to the householder. Data Source: 2010 Census


Non-Homeless Special Needs Assessment

In addition to the overall need for affordable housing, specific populations may have supplementary needs as outlined below. The populations in this analysis include persons with mental, physical or developmental disabilities, persons with drug or alcohol addition, elderly (defined as 62+) and frail elderly (elderly individuals requiring assistance with three or more activities of daily living). Demographics and Needs of Individuals with Disabilities and Mental Health/Substance Abuse Issues: In Thornton, 7.2% of the population or just fewer than 9,000 people had a disability in according to 2012 ACS data. This is lower than 8.9% found for Adams County as a whole, and 10.1% for Colorado. The most common disability for youth is cognitive difficulty, while the most common disability for adults is ambulatory difficulty. Based on Census data, people with disabilities are nearly one and a half times more likely to fall below the poverty line than the general population. Comparing this data with data on disabilities in the 2009 Housing Needs Assessment, there appears to be a 14.75% increase in the disabled population in five years. The 2009 HNA stated that 7,606 people living in Thornton reported having a disability, compared to 8,923 in 2012. When looking at disabilities by age group, the youngest segment of the population saw the highest increase in disabilities. In 2007, there were 839 youth ages 5 to 20 with a disability reported compared to 2,120 youth 5 to 18 with a disability in 2012. Although the age bracket for 2012 is smaller than 2007, this is still a significant increase. The number of people age 18 to 64 that report a disability has increased by 5% since the 2009 HNA. People age 65 years and older with a disability has increased by 12% over the past five years. Some individuals with physical disabilities may have limited ability to work and earn a living and may need modifications to ensure their house is accessible. Receiving Social Security Disability payments can help them offset some of their daily living costs but many times is not enough to cover everything. They may not be able to afford accessibility modifications, such as ramps, widened doors, and other features, or service enriched housing that includes assistance with activities of daily living, a group quarter or an assisted living environment. Although the census does not collect data on people who may experience mental health and substance abuse, Arapahoe House reported assisting 831 individuals at their Thornton location last year. According to MDHI, mental health and substance abuse are a common cause of homelessness and is part of the definition of chronic homelessness. These individuals may need additional supportive services to help with treatment, monitor medication and connect them to resources to live independently.

Demographics and Needs of Elderly and Frail Elderly: Thornton’s population of older adults is growing, though it is still a smaller share of the city’s overall population compared to the state. According to 2012 ACS data, Thornton had 8,772 residents over the age of 65, representing 7% of the population. In comparison, 12% of the current population in Colorado is 65 years of age or older and 9% of the population in Adams County is in this age group. The population of Thornton residents that were 65 years and older in 2010 was 7,922, indicating an 11% increase in this population in two years. Compared to the population overall, adults over the age of 65 in Thornton are slightly more likely to be white and non-Hispanic, and more than five times as likely to have a disability. They are twice as likely to live alone and are more likely to own their home, though renters over 65 are more likely to be cost burdened. The frail elderly are people unable to perform at least three "activities of daily living" comprising of eating, bathing, grooming, dressing, or home management activities, according to the HUD glossary of


terms. Residents currently living in assisted living, as well as older adults being served through a Meals on Wheels program, visiting nurse or senior day service program may qualify as frail elderly, as well as those that are rehabilitating after surgery. Up to 2,757 current Thornton residents or 1,049 households could fit into this group. Data from HUD indicates that there are 1,578 frail elderly people residing in Thornton who pay more than 30% of their monthly living expenses on housing costs. Nearly three quarters of Thornton’s renter households over the age of 65 are cost burdened, paying more than 30% of their income on rent. This is significantly higher than the rental burden rate for all Thornton renters, which is just over half. Only 58% of Thornton’s older adults (60 years or older) surveyed in 2012 felt that the availability of affordable quality housing was good or excellent. The data suggests a need for rental living options affordable for low-income populations and for assisted living options for older adults, but not for senior-specific for sale single-family units. Since many older adults desire to live in their house as long as possible, home maintenance and repair is a concern for many of them. The 2012 survey conducted in Thornton indicated that more than 60% of older adults reported being concerned about their ability to complete intense or heavy housework and nearly 40% of older adults were concerned about being able to maintain their yard or home. Homeless Needs Assessment

The 2013 Point-In-Time (PIT) survey conducted by the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative counted 1,264 homeless persons in Adams County. Of these people, 159 listed Thornton as the place they spent the previous night. The survey indicated that Adams County’s homeless population has a higher share of minorities than within the County’s population as a whole. Only 35% of the Adams County homeless counted in 2013 identified themselves as Caucasian, while over 79% of Adams County’s population as a whole is Caucasian. The disparity between the overall percentage of minorities versus the percentage of those homeless was only significant with African Americans, Native Americans and individuals of two or more races. Of the people counted in the PIT survey, 80% were families with children compared to 58% in the metro area. Less than 3% of the homeless population in the county were chronically homeless, which is defined as being homeless for more than a year or homeless four or more times within three years. Most of Adams County’s homeless (43%) were homeless for more than a month, but less than a year. The Point-in-Time tabulates sheltered and unsheltered, but does not break this information down into sub-population categories. Because of this, CSI estimated sheltered and unsheltered based upon the total ratio of unsheltered individuals (6.1%) to sheltered individuals (93.9%). In reality, some groups are more likely to be unsheltered than others. Since the survey is volunteer based and takes place during a single night, it is difficult to use the data to determine the changes in homelessness or predict how many people are becoming homeless or have since found stable housing. A more pressing problem for the county appears to be the hidden homeless. CSI estimated that there are 1,356 persons doubled up with friends or non-relatives in Thornton, and 986 doubled up with family. The estimate was calculated using 2012 ACS data that details the relationship of persons living in each housing unit and national research and accepted methods for calculating doubled up numbers. Although the above number is an estimate, it appears to be substantiated by data collected by the local public school districts. For the 2012-2013 school year, the four districts which serve Thornton reported a combined 2,035 homeless students countywide. The majority of these students (88%) lived in a doubled up situation with other families or friends. This percentage is consistent with the rate of students


doubled up as reported by the school districts since 2008. Of the remaining students, six percent were living in shelters, four percent were living in hotels or motels, and two percent were unsheltered. Approximately nine percent of the students were unaccompanied (without adults). The leading causes of homelessness in Adams County, according to Point-in-Time respondents, were lost jobs, housing costs, family problems, evictions or foreclosures, and mental illness (as shown in the

chart). Seven percent (7%) of the individuals reported that they were homeless due to domestic violence. The homeless service providers interviewed for the 2014 Housing Needs Assessment supported this by citing a lack of affordable rental housing units for very low-income households and for those who have experienced bad credit. The recent increases in rental prices and reduction in vacancy rate has increased this problem. This is re-enforced by the high number of Thornton residents served by emergency assistance services, such as rent and utility assistance. In 2013, more than 1,200 Thornton residents received utility or rent assistance from homeless service providers or the city’s water

assistance program, which provides short-term assistance to customers that are low-income. Service providers also indicated a need for housing and services for at-risk youth, particularly unaccompanied and emancipated youth, despite the overall low numbers compared to other specific populations. Current resources for this population include the Shiloh House, the Link, Adams County Human Service, public benefits for foster and emancipated youth, and school district homeless liaisons. Conclusion

The information provided throughout this needs assessment clearly indicates a need to continue to provide housing, shelter, and services to reduce the number of individuals and families that are homeless, at-risk of becoming homeless, or living doubled up. Additionally, there is a need for accessible housing options for older adults or individuals with disabilities. And finally, there is a distinct need to provide additional, more equally dispersed affordable housing options throughout the city and to maintain the city’s existing affordable housing options. NA-50 Non-Housing Community Development Needs - 91.415, 91.215 (f) Describe the jurisdiction’s need for Public Facilities:

The results of the public input process indicated the need for the following types of facilities to serve low and moderate income Thornton residents: health facilities, centers for youth or child care, facilities for specific populations who require additional assistance, and recreational/library facilities and parks. Agencies that provide these types of services may not necessarily have their facilities in Thornton but are located in surrounding municipalities. They generally serve all of Adams County including Thornton residents. The drawback to this is the travel time and accessibility for those that are low-income and may have to rely on public transportation. Partnering with school districts or other nonprofits to share a facility may be a more realistic way to address this need.

42%

28% 24%

17% 13%

0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%


Significant upgrades have already been completed at the existing Thornton Senior Center which is located in the south. However, the desire to have an additional facility that is focused on the needs of the growing baby boomer population or is multi-generational and located farther north is a topic of continued discussion at the city. During the community meetings, recreational uses were identified as a need but more secondary in nature when compared to providing facilities that meet basic needs. How were these needs determined?

These needs resulted from the results of the priority needs survey and meetings with residents. Describe the jurisdiction’s need for Public Improvements:

Residents placed a higher priority on improvements to city sewer and water, flood and drainage, as well as residential streets and sidewalks and less of a need for streetscape or parking facilities. When evaluated against city infrastructure data, the highest need is for flood and drainage improvements in older residential neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are located in southern Thornton and have outdated infrastructure that may not meet the capacity needed today and require replacement. Needed improvements should focus on safety, such as lighting, removing tripping hazards and accessibility for those in wheelchairs, and adequate drainage that can decrease the chance of flooding. How were these needs determined?

The needs are based on the results of the priority needs survey as well as city-based data and interviews with Infrastructure and Engineering staff who are familiar with the challenges that the older neighborhoods have in regards to aging infrastructure. Describe the jurisdiction’s need for Public Services:

The need for wrap around services that support the low-income population was identified as a high priority during the public participation process, specifically around employment training, transportation, health, and services for specific populations. Youth or child care, screening for lead-based paint hazards, legal services, education of crime awareness or prevention, and housing and rental counseling were identified as a low priority need. Residents and service providers recognize the need for supportive services and promoting self-sufficiency as an important part of providing for the overall well-being of the community members. Staff received feedback that there is a need for more transportation options for those who without a car and employment training for youth and the disabled population. Many residents expressed an interest in learning more about resources and services that are available to them. The concept of a one-stop shop where residents could go to access multiple services or complete applications was recommended. How were these needs determined?

This information came from the results of the priority needs survey, community meetings with Thornton residents, feedback from service providers and the Housing Needs Assessment.


Market Analysis MA-05 Market Analysis Overview Thornton’s housing market has changed since the 2009 Housing Needs Assessment. In 2009, the country was still in the midst of the foreclosure crisis and a recession. Now Thornton’s economy is recovering as is the housing market, with new construction picking up since 2013. The city has experienced an increase in the number of affordable units in the last year. Despite these trends, there continues to be a gap in the number of units affordable for low-income households. The following factors had a significant impact on the growing number of individuals in need of affordable housing:

• Thornton’s overall population has increased by 2.77% according to city population estimates from the 2009 (fourth quarter of 2008) and the 2014 Housing Needs Assessment (second quarter of 2014).

• Residential construction and multifamily construction declined precipitously during the economic downturn (2008-2012), so that new construction did not keep pace with the city’s growing population and shifting housing needs. This began to change starting in 2013.

• Thornton’s poverty rate has increased since 2007 by 25.7% and household incomes have decreased by $5,513 since that time according to HUD estimates.

• Thornton’s homeownership rate has decreased by nearly 10%, (77% vs. 67.7%), so more households are seeking rental options. This was partly due to the foreclosure crisis, as households unable to maintain their mortgage entered the rental market. However, foreclosure petitions have steadily decreased and are were down 71% in 2013 from the high in 2008.

• As a result of decreasing homeownership and growing population, Thornton’s rental vacancy rates have decreased by nearly half (7.5 - 8 % vs. 4 – 4.5%).

• Rental rates for apartments in Thornton and the metro area have increased due to the increased demand. With higher rental rates and more households in poverty, the number and share of Thornton households that are cost burdened (paying more than 30% of their income on housing costs) has increased.

• Home values and prices are increasing, which is a trend seen throughout the metro area.

Since 2008, 1,652 permits have been issued for new single-family homes in Thornton, and 365 permits issued for multifamily units. According to the city’s Building Department, construction of units declined during the economic downturn, which started in 2008. Building permit numbers remained stable for single-family homes from 2008 to 2012 and started to increase in 2013. Prior to 2008, the city was issuing more than 200 single-family permits a month. Although multifamily building permits have remained a relatively small share in Thornton overall in recent years, multifamily apartment construction has picked up significantly in the Denver metro area as a whole. A report by the CBRE Group from the first quarter of 2014 found that 7,800 apartment units in Denver were completed in 2013, compared to just 2,700 units between 2008 and 2012. The report projected another 9,000 units to be completed in the region in 2014, citing job growth, broad rental demand, and RTD's FasTracks expansion as the main causes for this increase. Based on these trends, Thornton may see an increase in multifamily development in the coming years. City data indicates that as of the 2nd quarter of 2014, approximately half of the units in proposed and approved residential projects are multifamily. Outside investors have begun to see Thornton as a desirable market for residential neighborhoods. For example, in June of 2014 the Denver Business Journal reported that a California investment firm had purchased a Thornton townhome community.


The reasons given for the purchase were “the quality of the units, desirable suburban location, high occupancy and ability to increase rents.” MA-10 to MA-40 – Market Analysis Number of Units and Housing Cost

As of the second quarter of 2014, there were 44,758 housing units in Thornton. Three quarters of the housing stock is single-family homes; 17% is multifamily complexes and six percent is manufactured homes. Of the 28,187 single-family detached homes in the city, 80% are owner-occupied. There are 33 apartment complexes in Thornton, representing 7,818 rental units. ACS data from 2012 suggests an overall vacancy rate of 6.1% in the city, with 8.8% for rentals and 1.6% for owner-occupied housing. If this is true, there are a sufficient number of units to house Thornton’s population. However, more recent ACS and city data indicate that vacancy rates are much lower, less than 4% for rentals. A more in-depth review of cost burden data indicates that the cost of available units does not necessarily match the ability to pay for certain populations. The average rent in Thornton was $1,049 during the 3rd quarter of 2013. Households at 60% AMI or below cannot afford to pay the average rent and utility cost in Thornton, however, those above that income range can. Upper income households could afford a rent almost twice the average rent. Although there are more than 1,300 higher rent units in Thornton that should be attractive to these households, an analysis of census Public Use Microdata Sample data indicates that many upper income households live in units with much lower rents. Based on information collected by CSI, there is a clear gap in the supply of rental units available and affordable to households in the 0 to 30% AMI range and the 31 to 50% AMI range. There is also a gap in the higher income renters in the 121% of AMI or above ranges, indicating a demand for higher end rental units offering amenities not currently found in Thornton’s market. There are currently eight rent-restricted apartment complexes in Thornton with a total of 1,349 affordable units. The units are owned by Adams County Housing Authority, nonprofit housing providers, and private owners. Of these, 71 include tenant based rental assistance. More than half of these units are targeted to households earning 60% of AMI; only 8% of the units are affordable to households earning 30% AMI or less. None of these are HUD public housing or Section 8 properties, but they do all allow holders of Section 8 tenant based vouchers to live in the properties. There are 384 vouchers in use in Thornton, and half of those voucher holders have a disability or are elderly. Thornton provides families with a community to live in that has homes at a slightly lower price than the metro area. As with the rental market, there is fewer for-sale housing available that are affordable to low-income households. The gap analysis conducted by CSI compared the number of owner-occupied households at each income level to the value of Thornton’s existing homes. According to this analysis, there is a gap of 1,295 units affordable to households earning 31-50% AMI and at least 6,000 households that are earning more than 120% area median income could afford to purchase a home at a higher price point but have chosen not to. This indicates that some lower income households are valued at more than they can afford, and that many high income households are paying less than 30% of their income on housing. The data also suggests an over-abundance of homes affordable to households earning 50-120% AMI (valued at $144,200-$298,700). In addition to a deficiency in the number of affordable rental and owner housing units as compared to the need, there is currently a lack of available housing and housing options at different price points


dispersed equally throughout Thornton, as mentioned previously. As illustrated in the map, the median contract rent is lower and thus more affordable in the southern section of the city. Likewise, for sale houses most affordable to low and moderate income (LMI) populations are also concentrated in the southern part of the city. For the past several years, market conditions in the Metro area have made it advantageous for multifamily rental owners to renew their Section 8 contract rather than convert the buildings to some other use. Because HUD renewals are being handled on a one-to-three year basis, as the Thornton multifamily rental housing market improves property owners may terminate their Section 8 project contract renewals and convert their buildings to some other use. Presently, there are no known expiring Section 8 contract units that will be removed from the affordable housing inventory in Thornton. In addition to the overall rental and owner market, Thornton has limited housing options specific to special populations, including homeless individuals, seniors, and people with disabilities. There is currently only one housing provider in Thornton that provides 180 units of permanent supportive housing to formerly homeless individuals and families. Also, there are limited options for affordable rentals for older adults and are no housing facilities in Thornton dedicated specifically to people with disabilities. The potential increase in development, the rapid growth in the housing market, the ever changing demographics and limited available housing options helps to underscore the need to create and preserve affordable and accessible units for low-and-moderate income households. Condition of Housing

Overall, HUD data and the 2014 Housing Needs Assessment showed that Thornton’s housing stock does not have significant defects. This is most likely due to the relatively young age of the housing, with only 39% of the units constructed before 1980. Furthermore, only 2% of the rental units and .04% of owner occupied units lack complete kitchen or plumbing. However, despite the relatively good condition of housing, nearly 40% of Thornton’s apartment complexes and 60% of Thornton’s rent-restricted apartment complexes were constructed before 1980, most of which are located in south Thornton as shown in the map. In fact nearly 77% of the multifamily complexes that have affordability restrictions or accept rental subsidy were built in the 1970s. This, along with HUD data on housing conditions, suggests there may be a need for repairs to the Thornton’s rental housing stock. This is consistent with rental cost data, which indicates overall lower rental rates for units in older apartment complexes. Building permit data indicates that almost all of the city’s rent-restricted apartment complexes have conducted repairs to at least one major system (i.e. roofs, boilers, siding, etc.) since 1980. However, only three of the complexes have


had a substantial rehabilitation to all units beyond required maintenance. Based on the age of the buildings, they are likely due for rehabilitation and repair. Furthermore, because nearly all of the rent-restricted properties were built before the enactment of the Lead-based paint and accessibility regulations including the Americans with Disabilities Act (Title 2 in 1992) and Fair Housing Accessibility (1991), they were not required to ensure the units are lead free or accessible to individuals with disabilities. Currently, 13% of all housing units in the city with children may have lead-based paint and only 51 of the rent restricted units are fully accessible to people with disabilities. This indicates the need to address accessibility improvements and may indicate the need to address lead-based paint hazards in addition to maintenance and repair needs of the older buildings. For a full discussion on the prevalence and needs related to lead-based paint, refer to the Strategic Plan section of this document. As with rental housing, most of the city’s older owner-occupied housing stock is located in southern Thornton. This housing is more likely to require repairs to maintain a safe and healthy living environment, particularly items such as replacement of aging clay sewer lines. Moving north, the needs of the housing in mid Thornton are more likely to be roof and siding repairs, which can still be costly to low-income families. And finally, homes throughout Thornton may require modification to adequately address the needs of an aging population. While there is desire for many home owners to continue to live in their house as long as possible, home maintenance and repair is a concern for many of Thornton’s older adults. In the resident survey conducted for the Housing Needs Assessment, almost 15% of respondents reported having someone with a disability in their home and nearly 40% stated they had an existing modification to their housing unit. The most common modifications were living in a one story home, appliances that are easy to use by persons with mobility issues, grab bars, and other handles, pulls, and light switches that are easy to grasp, and widened interior doors. Homeless Facilities and Services Thornton is part of the Denver Metro Continuum of Care, the overall system of agencies that serve homeless individuals in the seven county metro Denver region. Although there are no permanent emergency homeless shelters in Thornton, there are eight organizations operating in Adams County that provide homeless shelter and housing services to Thornton residents experiencing homelessness, three of which are operating in Thornton. Homeless individuals and families can access case management services, emergency food assistance, school supplies, transportation assistance, and other services through the homeless service providers in Adams County.

• The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless owns the Renaissance 88 apartments in Thornton. This 180 apartment complex used Section 8 project based rental assistance to fund all the units at this complex. They offer case management services for the formerly homeless families and disabled individuals that reside there.


• Shiloh House has a facility in Thornton with a 20 bed capacity for at-risk youth participating in the programs at The Sanctuary. Shiloh House provides youth with up to two weeks of shelter, crisis intervention, educational services, and treatment for youth ages five to 17 from throughout the Denver metro area. One of the beds is reserved for youth who are being served through The Link, which provides youth truancy reduction services. Also P.A.T.H. is on site to offer pre-trial release supervision, and counseling for youth who have been in treatment and their families.

• Community of Faith operates the Adams County Cold Weather Care program, an emergency shelter housing people overnight at local churches from October through April each year. The program provides case management and up to 20 emergency shelter beds a night. Three of the four member churches for 2013-2014 are located in Thornton.

For a full description of the homeless service providers and facilities throughout Adams County, refer to the 2014 Housing Needs Assessment. Special Needs Facilities and Services There are no facilities specifically for people returning from mental/physical health institutions in Thornton, but there are numerous mental/physical health institutions that have a housing component, and other organizations that provide supportive services to people with physical and mental impairments as outlined below. For a description of agencies throughout Adams County, refer to the 2014 Housing Needs Assessment. These agencies serve specific populations in Thornton that have mental health or substance abuse issues who may require supportive housing and programs to remain stably housed. The 2013 Point in Time Study conducted by the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative indicated that 11% of the homeless in Adams County surveyed attributed their homelessness to substance abuse issues and 12% attributed their homelessness to mental health issues. Additionally, 41.4% of the homeless individuals and families surveyed had an adult in the household with a disabling condition. A disabling condition is defined by HUD as “a diagnosable substance abuse disorder, a serious mental illness, developmental disability, or chronic physical illness or disability, including the co-occurrence of two or more of these conditions which limits an individual’s ability to work or perform one or more activities of daily living”. Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment The two residential facilities in Thornton for individuals with mental health and substance abuse issues are Arapahoe House and Community Reach Center. Both of these organizations offer additional services to help individuals with mental health or substance abuse issues live independently. Arapahoe House has one location in Thornton where they provide comprehensive outpatient and residential inpatient substance abuse and mental health treatment for adolescents and adults, detoxification, and substance abuse education. They also have an outpatient clinic located in south Thornton. The Community Reach Center operates throughout Adams County. The agency provides comprehensive mental health and substance abuse services for children and adults, including outpatient counseling, transitional and permanent assisted, semi- and independent residential treatment, and criminal justice services. The agency takes private pay clients, as well as Medicaid, Medicare, Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+), and provides financial assistance to low-income clients without the ability to pay. The Thornton locations include an administrative building, an early childhood services center, and one ten-bed


residential assisted living facility for adults with mental illness. The facility provides residents with a structured environment and access to therapy, life skills training, case management and medication monitoring. Advocacy and Support Programs The Center for People with Disabilities is located in Thornton and provides services to individuals who have physical, mental, or developmental disabilities. The agency can help adults find housing, provides information and referrals, peer groups, and advocacy. The agency goal is to help support residents ability to live independently. Independent living services are offered such as financial management assistance, nutrition education, and development of emergency plans for residents. Supportive Housing Programs To serve the elderly residents, Thornton currently has 1,049 housing units that are age restricted and offer supportive services including independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing and memory care options. Orchard Hill Apartments and InnovAge Senior Housing are both rent restricted, which together have a total of 160 units (12% of all older adult rental units). In addition, both Park Regency and Villas at Sunny Acres accept Medicaid or InnovAge subsidies for qualified assisted living/skilled nursing residents. Shiloh House’s The Sanctuary serves homeless youth and Community Reach has a shelter that serves mental health patients. See descriptions in previous parts of this section. Barriers to Affordable Housing

CSI determined that the city’s regulatory processes and fee structures were not out of line with neighboring jurisdictions, and that the city has a robust information pool formulated to encourage a diverse housing supply within the jurisdiction. However, staff have discovered that the term “assisted living” is not in the development code, and, therefore, this type of housing could be considered as not allowed in Thornton. Also, a HUD Fair Housing representative reviewed the city’s code language regarding groups homes and suggested that Section 18-228 of the city code on group homes be amended so that the development code does not violate the rights of any protected class under the Fair Housing Act or Colorado law. City staff will be proposing Council revise the city code to ensure assisted living is an allowable use and the policy on group homes is appropriate.

Zoning and Land Use Regulations

Thornton has a detailed zoning and land use code. Generally, the land uses in the southern portion of the city permit smaller single-family detached lot sizes, while the land parcels in the northern and eastern areas of the city have requirements for larger lot sizes. The zoning classification system allows for denser development through the planned development process, which is a longer process for developers. The city will be reviewing the code in the next year to determine if it is in the public benefit to allow 50 acre lots throughout the city, or only on preferred land uses surrounding the commuter rail stations. Thornton is aware that as the metro area continues to gain population residential development will be impacted. Denser development patterns might provide a solution to accommodate more people yet allow for open space areas as well.


Regulatory Process Thornton’s regulatory and development processes do not appear to create excessive burdens on builders and developers wishing to provide a housing product that meets the needs of a large segment of the market, including households with limited income. Thornton offers a pre-application conference for developers to meet with City staff and allows the use of an electronic submittal system to share plans and revisions in a timely manner and eliminates the cost of printing large format architectural and engineering drawings for the application. Building Codes Thornton has adopted the 2012 International Building Code Compendium and the 2011 National Electric Code, which are typically in use throughout the metro Denver area. There are two related facets of the building code enforcement approach in Thornton that impact owners and builders wishing to improve their homes or build new ones. First, Thornton has adopted design standards for single-family homes to improve the quality and longevity of the buildings erected in the city. In spite of these advantages, the standards also add to the cost of a home since higher quality construction materials costs more than minimal quality materials. Second, Thornton City Council has adopted by ordinance a sales and use tax that, by state law, requires builders and homeowners to pay a use tax on materials at the time the building permit is issued. In return the builder does not pay any city tax when the builder purchases building materials for the project. The intention of the use tax is to ensure that tax on building materials for projects within Thornton is received in order to fund essential services for the residents of the city. This method for paying tax at the time of permit issuance is consistent among home rule cities and towns in Colorado. Development Process and Costs Thornton’s City Development review process and fee system does not place undue burdens on developers nor do the fees charged contribute an excessive burden to the cost of housing in the jurisdiction. Thornton has minimal exactions and development impact fees and only assesses an exaction for parks and recreation facilities. The City of Thornton has a water and sewer tap connection fee, which is comparable to the Denver metro area median rate. Environmental, Cultural and Historical Regulations Some jurisdictions impose environmental impact fees for the impacts new development may have on the surrounding environment and natural ecology. Thornton does not impose environmental mitigation fees on new development. Administrative Policies Thornton provides support and effective program management for city-wide efforts to expand housing opportunities for low-income and minority populations. For example, in the Budget book that is adopted each year by City Council, it lists the goals and objectives of the CDBG program which include housing goals that promote affordable housing opportunities for the low-income population. The City has also adopted a Limited English Proficiency Plan that outlines the methods for reaching out to populations that may not understand English, this may include the Hispanic population which is the highest minority population in Thornton. Comprehensive Plan, Housing Master Plan and Municipal Code The combined policy language of the Comprehensive Plan, associated plans and the city’s affordable housing policy support and encourage a diversity of housing choice in Thornton. In addition, the


definition of “family” and the group home requirements in Thornton’s Municipal Code do not create an impediment to those individuals who need this type of housing choice. Transportation Linkage Thornton is making strides in providing better transit options for its residents. In 2018, commuter rail will link Thornton residents to Denver, the airport and other cities in the metro area. The city’s affordable housing policy encourages locating housing within walking distance of transportation, community facilities and schools. Neighborhood Revitalization Thornton continues to provide forward thinking approaches to neighborhood revitalization. CSI suggested that this effort could be enhanced with more resources directed to improving the physical conditions of both the owned and rental housing in the older neighborhoods and, thus, supports the new Home Repair Loan program recently established by the city and Brothers Redevelopment. Thornton’s Balance of Housing

A balanced community should have various types of housing available so people of all ages, races, religions, ethnicities, national origins, genders, familial statuses, and income levels can live in a community. The reality is that creating a mix and balance of housing throughout the community may not happen when left to the private market. Developers are focused on developing their own property and do not necessarily see the larger situation. It is up to government to create plans that guide the development and then assess the housing regularly to evaluate if there is a mix and balance as the community changes throughout years. The following describes Thornton’s current housing balance: • Thornton has a variety of housing types in the city, including single-family attached and detached

houses (bi-level, ranch, patio and executive homes), apartments, condominiums, manufactured homes, assisted living or nursing care, and independent living with services. The city code allows for accessory dwelling units and group homes.

• There is not a variety of housing options or housing at different price points dispersed equally throughout the city.

• There is a limited availability of homes for sale for low-income households. • The demand for affordable rental housing for low and extremely low-income residents (0 – 50%

AMI) is greater than the supply. • There appears to be a high demand for assisted living units, memory care, and independent living

with services at a lower price point to serve frail elderly residents. • There is a need for more single-family and multifamily housing that is fully accessible to people

with disabilities.


MA-45 Non-Housing Community Development Assets - 91.410, 91.210(f) Introduction

The economic conditions in Thornton have begun to improve over the last few years with four new primary employers bringing in an estimated 600 jobs. Job growth within Thornton should increase demand for new housing units for employees interested in living near their jobs. A mix of professional employees, retail employees, and small business owners and employees at these new and redeveloped sites will seek a mix of housing options in all price and size ranges. ACS data provides information that makes it possible to estimate labor force dynamics for Thornton. The latest year that this information is available for is 2012. In that year, 73.3% of the Thornton residents were considered to be working or actively looking for a job. This group of people grew by 15% from 2005 to 2012. In 2012, close to 69% were employed and 5.9% were unemployed. The November 2013 Adams County unemployment rate, the latest published rate that includes Thornton, was 6.6%, slightly higher than the Colorado rate of 6.5%. As identified earlier in the data on poverty, employed persons and persons working in jobs with a living wage are more likely to be able to live above the poverty level and, therefore, secure decent housing. U.S. Census “On the Map” provides basic demographics of those who work in Thornton. More than 50% of the Thornton workforce is age 30 to 54. Slightly less than one third of workers earn $1,250 per month or less, 43% earn between $1,250 and $3,333 and another third earn more than $3,333 per month. Educational attainment data indicates that 18.5% have a bachelor’s or advanced degree; 23% have some college or an associate’s degree; 18% have a high school education and 8.8%of employees have less than a high school education. The data for the remaining 31.7% is not available (workers aged 29 or younger). Thornton, like many suburban communities, has residents that commute out of the city for work in other communities. U.S. Census “On the Map” data indicates that as of 2011, 7% (3,750) of Thornton’s working residents worked in Thornton and the rest left the city to work elsewhere. A total of 17,398 people commuted into Thornton for work. Of those residents who left Thornton for work, over 26% commuted to Denver. Another 22.5% commuted to other Adams County communities. According to 2012 ACS data, the vast majority of Thornton’s working population commutes by single occupancy vehicle (84%). Only 2% of the population commutes by public transportation. It is important to note that the median earnings of those who commute by public transportation are 30% less than those who drive alone. These commuters are also more likely to live below the poverty line, and more likely to have no access to a vehicle.


Economic Development Market Analysis Tables:

Business Activity Business by Sector Number

of Workers

Number of Jobs

Share of Workers

%

Share of Jobs

%

Jobs less workers

% Agriculture, Mining, Oil & Gas Extraction 608 12 2 0 -2 Arts, Entertainment, Accommodations 4,874 3,038 12 18 6 Construction 3,131 917 8 5 -3 Education and Health Care Services 5,633 4,198 14 24 10 Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate 2,946 808 7 5 -2 Information 1,569 465 4 3 -1 Manufacturing 4,024 159 10 1 -9 Other Services 1,456 702 4 4 0 Professional, Scientific, Management Services 4,412 1,140 11 7 -4 Public Administration 194 7 0 0 0 Retail Trade 5,632 5,229 14 30 16 Transportation and Warehousing 2,256 169 6 1 -5 Wholesale Trade 3,097 414 8 2 -6 Total 39,832 17,258 -- -- -- Data Source: 2006-2010 ACS (Workers), 2010 Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (Jobs)

Labor Force

Total Population in the Civilian Labor Force 61,864 Civilian Employed Population 16 years and over 58,325 Unemployment Rate 5.72 Unemployment Rate for Ages 16-24 20.54 Unemployment Rate for Ages 25-65 3.71 Data Source: 2006-2010 ACS

Occupations by Sector

Occupations by Sector Number of People Management, business and financial 13,187 Farming, fisheries and forestry occupations 3,143 Service 5,335 Sales and office 10,749 Construction, education, maintenance and repair 6,550 Production, transportation and material moving 3,808 Data Source: 2006-2010 ACS

Travel Time

Travel Time Number Percentage < 30 Minutes 28,094 51% 30-59 Minutes 22,864 41% 60 or More Minutes 4,223 8% Total 55,181 100% Data Source: 2006-2010 ACS


Education:

Educational Attainment by Employment Status (Population 16 and Older)

Educational Attainment In Labor Force Not in Labor Force Civilian Employed Unemployed Less than high school graduate 4,813 541 2,441 High school graduate (includes equivalency) 13,246 700 3,284 Some college or Associate's degree 17,571 725 2,464 Bachelor's degree or higher 14,733 367 1,892 Data Source: 2006-2010 ACS

Educational Attainment by Age

Age 18–24 yrs 25–34 yrs 35–44 yrs 45–65 yrs 65+ yrs

Less than 9th grade 210 599 641 1,347 736 9th to 12th grade, no diploma 1,817 1,946 1,392 1,870 1,156 High school graduate, GED, or alternative 3,810 5,274 4,487 7,518 1,894 Some college, no degree 2,807 4,592 4,197 6,019 1,570 Associate's degree 372 1,646 1,652 2,759 323 Bachelor's degree 739 4,737 4,147 3,691 633 Graduate or professional degree 64 1,043 1,602 1,772 416 Data Source: 2006-2010 ACS

Median Earnings in the Past 12 Months

Educational Attainment Median Earnings in the Past 12 Months Less than high school graduate $24,364 High school graduate (includes equivalency) $33,016 Some college or Associate's degree $40,599 Bachelor's degree $52,519 Graduate or professional degree $58,488 Data Source: 2006-2010 ACS

Based on the Business Activity table above, what are the major employment sectors within your jurisdiction?

The top employment sectors in Thornton, ranked by the highest number of workers, are education and health care services at 5,633 and retail trade at 5,632. The two largest employers are public sector organizations: Adams 12 Five Star Schools and the City of Thornton. Thornton’s Economic Development Department focuses on increasing jobs from companies that produce goods and/or services for customers that are predominantly outside the community. Economic Development staff have identified that most of these types of jobs are concentrated in and around the central Thornton business park district, which is bordered by I-25, 128th Avenue, Claude Court and 120th Avenue. This area is served by the I-25 expressway, which provides the transportation artery for employees, goods and services. According to the 2007 Census, 31.9% of the businesses in Thornton are owned by women and 12.1% are Hispanic-owned companies.


Data Source: Economic Development webpage, 2014

Describe the workforce and infrastructure needs of the business community:

The average wage in Thornton is approximately $34,000 a year. This is lower than the average wage in Adams County of $52,128 a year, according to 2013 data collected by the City of Thornton Office of Economic Development. According to the Census statistics from 2013, 25.8% of Thornton residents having achieved a bachelor's degree or higher and another 61.4% have a high school degree, leaving only 12.8% without a high degree. Thornton has limited opportunities for higher paying jobs which could be attributed to the fact that 93% of Thornton residents leave the city to work elsewhere. To address this, the Economic Development Department has focused its efforts on attracting employers that pay higher wages. Recently, Avaya and the Northern Group moved to Thornton. The city also recognizes that workforce drives most relocation and expansion decisions, so the department offers custom workforce reports using labor market, industry, and demographic data that provide insight into the regional labor market, industries, occupations, demographics, supply chain, workforce trends, economic impacts, skills, and job compatibility. To further meet the needs of the business community, Economic Development Department has an online, interactive tool that allows potential employers to search the existing commercial and office properties and look through the inventory of land available for future development that are for sale or lease. Not only are these tools beneficial for businesses, they are helpful to nonprofit organizations that may be interested in moving their offices to Thornton. The Center for People with Disabilities and Community of Faith have both taken advantage of these services.


Almost 80% of the businesses in Thornton are considered small businesses with 20 employees or less. To support the smaller businesses, Thornton provides the Business Improvement Grants (BIG) for physical improvements that will result in the creation and retention of jobs, increased sales revenue, and increased capital investment in Thornton facilities. Other services, such as free commercial graffiti removal, sales use and tax workshops, and incentives for business expansion and job creation, are offered. The city partners with North Metro Small Business Development Center for free one-on-one counseling for small businesses. Describe any major changes that may have an economic impact, such as planned local or regional public or private sector investments or initiatives that have affected or may affect job and business growth opportunities during the planning period. Describe any needs for workforce development, business support or infrastructure these changes may create.

Thornton’s commercial development is expected to grow during the next five years; this expectation is based on development projects in the planning process currently and the commuter rail line that will begin to take shape in 2015 and open in 2018. The Grove off I-25 and 144th Avenue is a new retail center that started off with the opening of the Cabela's sport store a year and half ago. The Grove has recently added new stores, including Boot Barn, Firehouse Subs, a gas station and Lazy Boy Furniture. There is still retail space available at this location. This development brought new utilities to this northern area of Thornton and has spurred other developers to submit project plans close to this area, including an outlet mall, Top Golf and a bowling center. Also, two new medical centers are slated to open fall of 2015 in the north Thornton. The Regional Transportation District (RTD) is currently working on the final engineering plans for commuter rail that will run through Thornton. Each of the three rail stops have raw land near it that can be developed. The city has completed station area master plans for transit oriented development around two of the stops. As a result of this future public transportation, land owners at these stops have received several proposals from housing and commercial developers. To support future growth in jobs, the city may refer companies to the Adams County Workforce Center. This agency assists companies in recruiting highly trained and qualified employees. Employers also have access to a diverse set of resources and expertise to assist with customized training and supportive services, bonding services and tax credits, job fairs and postings, recruiting, prescreening and personnel services. Thornton residents who are interested in working for one of these new employers can take advantage of the free services offered at the center, including classes on computer skills, job searches, career assessments, resume writing and effective interview skills.


How do the skills and education of the current workforce correspond to employment opportunities in the jurisdiction?

For those members of the current workforce who have higher education and skill sets, companies like Intrex Aerospace, US Engineering, Verizon, Avaya and the proposed medical companies will provide new opportunities for finding jobs that may fit their experience and salary requirements thus allowing them to live and work in the Thornton community. Some companies like Intrex offer on-the-job training to help build their employee base who may not have the right skill sets yet.

Describe any current workforce training initiatives, including those supported by Workforce Investment Boards, community colleges and other organizations. Describe how these efforts will support the jurisdiction's Consolidated Plan.

Employment training and providing opportunities to increase the self-sufficiency of the low-income population has been identified as a high priority for Thornton. To help our residents meet these goals, there are workforce programs and educational options that they can take advantage of. First, the Adams County Workforce Center provides free services as described above. Second, the Economic Development staff promotes the Colorado FIRST program that provides grants to companies that are locating or expanding in Thornton and provides funds to net new hires. For those residents who are seeking a higher education, several options are available. Thornton hosts Everest College with 407 students and Regis Dual Language University with 100 students and offers access to a wide variety of colleges and universities as noted below.

Data Source: Economic Development webpage, 2014 All of these efforts will support the employment training ‘high’ priority as well as the economic development activities identified as a ‘low’ priority in the Consolidated Plan. Since Neighborhood Services works with many of the nonprofits like Center for People with Disabilities and Arc of Adams


County, both of which support the disabled population through employment training, staff can share these resources with agencies to help increase their capacity and future employment of their clients. Does your jurisdiction participate in a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)?

Yes. The city adopted the Economic Development Strategic Plan in April 2014. If so, what economic development initiatives are you undertaking that may be coordinated with the Consolidated Plan? If not, describe other local/regional plans or initiatives that impact economic growth.

The economic development initiatives outlined in Thornton’s Economic Development strategic plan focus on the expansion of aerospace, telecomm, energy, information technology, and medical industries, as well as increasing efforts to make Thornton more competitive in recruiting primary employers. The economic development plan does not coincide with the goals of the Consolidated Plan. However, one of the CDBG priorities is employment training. Economic Development staff are supportive of working with Neighborhood Services to increase the employment training and business start up training available for community members.

MA-50 Needs and Market Analysis Discussion Are there areas where households with multiple housing problems are concentrated? (include a definition of "concentration")

The city does not have any areas where households with multiple housing problems are concentrated. When you evaluate the data below, there are only 66 households with three selected conditions which could include lack of plumbing or kitchen facilities, overcrowding, or cost burden. Given that there are over 44,000 housing units, homes with three of these selected condition represent less than 1% of the housing stock. Additional data on these conditions can be found in the 2014 Housing Needs Assessment document.

Condition of Units Owner-Occupied Renter-Occupied Number % Number %

With one selected Condition 8,992 32% 4,928 46% With two selected Conditions 324 1% 435 4% With three selected Conditions 0 0% 66 1% With four selected Conditions 0 0% 0 0% No selected Conditions 18,681 67% 5,148 49% Total 27,997 100% 10,577 100%

Data Source: HUD IDIS Consolidated Plan Data System, 2006 – 2010 American Community Survey For the purposes of this question, concentration as it relates to multiple housing problems is defined as housing units that have three or more selected conditions where the percentage is greater than 20%.

Are there any areas in the jurisdiction where racial or ethnic minorities or low-income families are concentrated? (include a definition of "concentration")

According to HUD, an area of racial and ethnic concentration is defined as where the percentage of persons in a particular race or ethnic group is at least 20 percentage points higher than the percentage


of persons in the category for the city as a whole. For the purposes of this question, concentration of racial or ethnic minorities or low-income families will follow this definition. Of Thornton’s total population, 34% of the residents identify themselves as Hispanic. Some tracts in the southern portion of Thornton consist of more than 54% Hispanic population according ACS data. thus indicating a higher concentration in this area. The area also coincides with the highest proportion of families living below the median area income. ACS data indicates that with the exception of American Indian/Alaskan Natives, White Non-Hispanic populations have a lower percentage of individuals below the poverty rate than other races. Hispanic or Latino populations are three times more likely to fall below the poverty rate than their Caucasian counterparts. The following maps show the concentration of the poverty rate and persons of Hispanic origin.

What are the characteristics of the market in these areas/neighborhoods?

The southern areas of Thornton are not only where there are higher concentrations of the low-income population and minorities reside, but this also represents the oldest sections of the city. Aging infrastructure, older commercial buildings, and housing stock that is over 50 years old are some of the characteristics in this area. However, these areas have also seen reinvestment not only from CDBG funds but also urban renewal and transportation efforts. Since 1983, Thornton has invested over $13 million of CDBG funds with a good portion going towards projects that contribute to the revitalization of these neighborhoods from streetscape, community facility improvements, new sidewalks to address accessibility, and housing rehabilitation programs. The majority of Thornton’s affordable housing stock is located south of 120th; this includes apartments and manufactured home parks. While single-family homes exist in all areas of the city, home values in the southern area generally fall at or below $250,000 while they are greater than $250,000 in the northern sections. This means that those who wish to live north of 104th may not be able to rent or buy in this north section of the city because they cannot afford it, as explained in the 2014 Housing Needs Assessment. This issue is a result of the private market forces. Typically, private housing developers and owners cannot afford to construct or offer housing below market rate; housing developers/owners must


use grants and subsidies to provide affordable housing or the housing must be less desirable by the general market, and, thus, offered at a lower price. Also, since Thornton is attempting to attract businesses with average annual salaries higher than $34,000, this drives the developers to build housing for those higher salary levels. Are there any community assets in these areas/neighborhoods?

There are many community assets in these neighborhoods. The city will have brand new commuter rail stations in 2018 at 88th and Welby and 104th and Colorado. There is a concentration of medical services located close to I-25 and Thornton Parkway, including the North Suburban Hospital, Clinica Family Health Services, Vibra Hospital and the Cancer Care Center. Many nonprofit organizations,

such as Arapahoe House, Community Reach Center, Center for People with Disabilities and Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics, that provide affordable mental and physical health services to the low-income populations are located in this area. Recently, the Mapleton School District completed a major expansion of their facilities at the Skyview Campus, which is located adjacent to the 88th and Welby transit oriented development site. New state-of-the-art school buildings for Kindergarten through high school and a library are surrounded by several athletic fields that are programmed through the city and the school. Besides the Mapleton campus library, there is another fairly new library west of I-25 side with internet access. There are 20 parks nestled into the residential neighborhoods, as well as a community center, public pool, arts and culture center and senior center. Also, there are two recreational amenities that draw people from around the region associated with this south Thornton area; Water World, the largest outdoor family water park in America, is adjacent to the area and Rock’n & Jam’n, an indoor rock climbing facility, is located in this area. Are there other strategic opportunities in any of these areas?

There are opportunities for both redevelopment and new development that can positively impact this area. The Thornton Shopping Center, located at the heart of south Thornton, is changing from a center of mostly vacant buildings to one that can once again be a valuable community center. All the redevelopment thus far has happened by the private sector. Clinica Family Health Services, a medical and dental clinic serving low-income people, expanded its facilities in 2013 and added solar panels in 2014. CDBG funds paid for a portion of these improvements. The New America School opened in early 2014 and serves the educational needs of English language learners and students not succeeding in traditional public schools. These two buildings only represent about 20% of this large site, so the city is considering rezoning the site which was originally developed in the 1960s to one that allows for a mix of residential, commercial and public uses. A commercial site at 104th and Washington Street that has been vacant for more than a decade is in the midst of redevelopment; an interactive car dealership has recently opened and a casual dining restaurant is currently being constructed. This site is on the northern most boundary of what we consider south Thornton. There is more room for commercial opportunities at this site.


With the announcement that the commuter rail will have stops in two areas in south Thornton, the property around the 88th Avenue stop and the 104th stop has become desired locations to develop. City Council approved the master plans for the land around these stops in January 2015. Now developers are making offers to land owners and proposing a variety of housing and commercial products for this spots. The city will attempt to ensure there is a mix of housing, retail and services around these stops.

Strategic Plan

SP-05 Overview Strategic Plan Overview The key elements of the strategic plan are to provide low-income populations, especially those that are most vulnerable, with affordable housing options that are dispersed throughout the city and supportive services that promote self-sufficiency. The strategic plan guides the city in its efforts to identify what projects will be funded for the next five CDBG program years and what actions the city will take to meet the needs of the low-income population. These actions must be in alignment with the mission of the CDBG program: to develop a viable community by providing decent affordable housing and a suitable living environment and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low and moderate income residents. CDBG and HOME funds will be used to address the priority needs of Thornton over the next five years. In general, the high priority needs are concentrated in areas of affordable housing, increasing self-sufficiency and supportive services through public services, and public infrastructure, specifically for flood and drainage improvements. The following table lists all of the high and low priority needs. Projects that fall into the ‘high’ priority need will receive preference over those in the low category. These needs are also linked to the goals and objectives outlined in the Consolidated Plan. In order to meet the priority needs and goals identified in this document, the city will need to continue efforts to partner and collaborate with agencies that provide these key services to those most in need.



SP-10 Geographic Priorities - 91.415, 91.215(a)(1) General Allocation Priorities

Describe the basis for allocating investments geographically within the jurisdiction.

The city does not have any targeted areas other than the designated CDBG-eligible area in south Thornton, in which more than 51 percent of all households are low and moderate income. This is the area where most of the CDBG funds will be used in the next five years to ensure this older section of town has viable infrastructure and services for low-income residents and special populations. In the area of affordable housing, Thornton will seek to have more geographically dispersed projects throughout the city, since the Housing Needs Assessment alleged that “there is not a variety of housing options or housing at different price points dispersed equally throughout the city and that Thornton has a notable high concentration of housing serving low-income people in south Thornton and a lack of affordable housing north of 120th Avenue.” While some of the CDBG funds could be invested in affordable housing projects north of 120th, the vast amount of the funding for affordable housing will come from other sources, such as Private Activity Bonds, Low Income Housing Tax Credits and HOME funds. SP-25 Priority Needs - 91.415, 91.215(a)(2) Priority Needs

Table 5 – Priority Needs Summary 1 Priority Need

Name Support Construction of Affordable Housing

Priority Level High Population Extremely Low

Low Moderate

Geographic Areas Affected

N/A

Associated Goals

Housing Goal

Description Support the construction of new affordable rental and owner-occupied housing for low and moderate income households.


Basis for Relative Priority

The priority needs were determined based on qualitative and quantitative data compiled by Neighborhood Services. Staff compared information obtained through the public participation process of the Consolidated Plan via resident surveys, community meetings, focus groups, and data in the 2014 Housing Needs Assessment, Community Planning and Development (CPD) Maps, Census data and other city planning documents to determine how to categorize a need. The decision of how to categorize each of the needs is summarized below. For a full chart that outlines the findings of the data for each type of priority need, refer to the Grantee Unique Appendices. - If both the qualitative and quantitative data supported the need, it was categorized as high. - If only one type of data supported the need (i.e. qualitative or quantitative), it was categorized as low. - If neither type of data supported the need, it was categorized as no-such need and not included in the priority needs.

2 Priority Need Name

Acquire Housing for Rehabilitation


Low Moderate


N/A

Associated Goals

Housing Goal

Description Support the acquisition of existing owner or rental housing for rehabilitation. Basis for Relative Priority



Rehabilitate Owner-Occupied and Multifamily Housing

Priority Level High


Population Extremely Low Low Moderate Large Families Families with Children Elderly


N/A

Associated Goals

Housing Goal

Description Support the rehabilitation of existing single or multifamily housing to increase the availability of safe and sanitary affordable housing for low and moderate income households.




Provide Financial Assistance to Purchase a Home


Low Moderate


N/A

Associated Goals

Housing Goal

Description Support programs that provide financial assistance to purchase a home for low and moderate income first time homebuyers.





Improve Energy Efficiency in Existing Housing

Priority Level Low Population Extremely Low

Low Moderate


N/A

Associated Goals

Housing Goal

Description Support energy efficient improvements to existing single and multifamily housing for low and moderate income households.




Support or Develop Housing for Homeless

Priority Level Low


Population Extremely Low Low Moderate Individuals Families with Children


N/A

Associated Goals

Housing Goal

Description Support or develop housing for homeless individuals and families. Basis for Relative Priority



Flood and Drainage Improvements


Low Moderate Non-housing Community Development


N/A

Associated Goals

Public Facilities and Infrastructure Goal

Description Support flood and drainage improvements projects that benefit low and moderate income households or areas (i.e. retention ponds, catch basins).





Water and Sewer Improvements




N/A

Associated Goals


Description Support public water or sewer improvements that benefit low and moderate income housing or areas.




Residential Street Improvements

Priority Level Low


Population Extremely Low Low Moderate Persons with Physical Disabilities Non-housing Community Development


N/A

Associated Goals


Description Support residential street improvement projects that benefit low and moderate income residents or areas (i.e. lighting for safety).




Streetscape Improvements




N/A

Associated Goals


Description Improvements to the streets and sidewalks, which can include irrigation, drainage and ADA access for the purpose of creating a suitable living environment and improving a deteriorating low-income areas.





Residential Sidewalk Improvements


Low Moderate Persons with Physical Disabilities


N/A

Associated Goals


Description Support residential sidewalk improvement projects that benefit low and moderate income people, with a focus on increasing accessibility for individuals with physical disabilities.




Acquire, Construct or Rehabilitate Health Facilities





N/A

Associated Goals


Description Support the acquisition, construction or rehabilitation of health facilities including, physical and mental health.




Acquire, Construct or Rehabilitate Facilities for Specific Populations

Priority Level Low


Population Extremely Low Low Moderate Homeless

• Individuals • Families with Children • Mentally Ill • Chronic Substance Abuse • Veterans • Victims of Domestic Violence • Unaccompanied Youth

Elderly Frail Elderly Persons with Mental Disabilities Persons with Physical Disabilities Persons with Developmental Disabilities Persons with Alcohol or Other Addictions Victims of Domestic Violence Other – At-risk or Abused/Neglected Youth


N/A

Associated Goals


Description Support the acquisition, construction or rehabilitation of facilities that serve special needs populations including: - Seniors - Individuals with Disabilities - Victims of Domestic Violence - People with Substance Abuse Issues - Abused and Neglected Children - Homeless and Near-Homeless Populations





Acquire, Construct or Rehabilitate Youth and Childcare Facilities


Low Moderate Individuals Families with Children Other – At Risk of Homelessness


N/A

Associated Goals


Description Support the acquisition, rehabilitation, or construction of facilities that serve youth or provide childcare services.




Develop or Improve Recreational Facilities, Libraries and Parks




N/A

Associated Goals


Description Develop or improve recreational facilities, libraries and parks that serve low and moderate income residents.





Support Employment Training


Low Moderate Persons with Disabilities –Mental, Physical, Developmental


N/A

Associated Goals

Public Services Goal

Description Support programs that provide employment training or preparation for employment to become more self-sufficient.




Support Improved Transportation Services

Priority Level High


Population Extremely Low Low Moderate Non-housing Community Development


N/A

Associated Goals


Description Support programs that provide transportation services to low and moderate income individuals.




Support Improved Health Services


Low Moderate


N/A

Associated Goals


Description Support programs that provide low and moderate income individuals with health services including, mental and physical health.





Increase or Improve Services for Specific Populations


Low Moderate Homeless

• Individuals • Families with Children • Chronic Substance Abuse • Veterans • Victims of Domestic Violence • Unaccompanied Youth

Elderly Frail Elderly Persons with Mental Disabilities Persons with Physical Disabilities Persons with Developmental Disabilities Persons with Alcohol or Other Addictions Victims of Domestic Violence Other: At-risk or Abused/Neglected Youth


N/A

Associated Goals



Description Support programs that serve special needs populations including: - Seniors - Individuals with Disabilities - Victims of Domestic Violence - People with Substance Abuse Issues - Abused and Neglected Children - Homeless and Near-Homeless Populations




Provide Improved Services for Youth or Childcare


Low Moderate Families with Children Non-housing Community Development


N/A

Associated Goals


Description Support programs aimed at youth or that provide childcare services to low and moderate income individuals.





Screen for Lead-Based Paint Hazards


Low Moderate Families with Children


N/A

Associated Goals


Description Support programs that provide lead-based paint screening services and prevention measures for low and moderate income families.




Provide Legal Services

Priority Level Low




N/A

Associated Goals


Description Support programs that provide legal services to low and moderate income residents.




Crime Awareness Education and Prevention Services


Low Moderate


N/A

Associated Goals


Description Support programs that provide education and prevention services to low and moderate individuals regarding crime awareness.





Provide Housing and Rental Assistance Counseling


Low Moderate


N/A

Associated Goals


Description Support programs that provide counseling and resources to low and moderate income owners and renters.




Provide Small Business Development Assistance

Priority Level Low




N/A

Associated Goals

Economic Development Goal

Description Support programs that provide assistance in the development of small businesses that result in jobs for low and moderate income residents.




Rehabilitate Commercial or Industrial Facilities




N/A

Associated Goals


Description Support projects that rehabilitate pubic or private commercial/ industrial facilities that benefit low and moderate income residents.





Develop Commercial or Industrial Infrastructure




N/A

Associated Goals


Description Support projects that assist in the development of infrastructure for commercial or industrial uses that benefit low and moderate income individuals.




SP-35 Anticipated Resources - 91.420(b), 91.215(a)(4), 91.220(c)(1,2) Introduction

The City of Thornton will receive two major sources of funding, CDBG and HOME, from HUD that can help address the goals outlined in the Consolidated Plan. The city participates in the Adams County Consortium for the receipt of HOME funds. Since Adams County is administrator of the HOME funds and is ultimately responsible for reporting to HUD, the estimated HOME allocation is not included in the source of funds chart below.

Anticipated Resources

Program Source of

Funds

Uses of Funds Expected Amount Available Year 1 *Expected Amount Available Reminder

of Con Plan

$

Narrative Annual

Allocation$

Program Income

$

Prior Year Resources

$

Total: $

CDBG public -

federal

Acquisition Admin and

Planning Economic

Development Housing Public

Improvements Public Services $620,788 0 0 $620,788 2,990,000

Funds allocated by

HUD to Thornton directly,

through the Entitlement

program.

Table 6 - Anticipated Resources *Based on average of past six years allocations and rounded to nearest even number.

Explain how federal funds will leverage those additional resources (private, state and local funds), including a description of how matching requirements will be satisfied

The City of Thornton encourages sub-recipients to leverage other resources to further the impact of the funds. Between 2010 and 2014, 50% of the CDBG projects leveraged additional resources totaling more than $9.5 million. The city has partnered with Adams County and the state to appropriately utilize multiple funding sources to support affordable housing projects in Thornton. The city expects the leveraging of funding and partnerships to continue as a means to provide a viable community for low-income residents. If appropriate, describe publically owned land or property located within the state that may be used to address the needs identified in the plan

At this time, the city has not identified any publicly owned land or property to use in order to address the needs identified in the Consolidated Plan. However, the Thornton Development Authority does own some properties within the city that could be used in the future to help the city meet the priorities and goals identified in this plan.


Discussion

The city will consider and actively pursue using additional funding sources other than CDBG funds to support goals in the Consolidated Plan. To assist with housing goals, the city plans to use HOME funds and Private Activity Bonds to increase the number or improve the number of affordable housing units or provide financial assistance to low and moderate income renters and owners. The city receives an average allocation of $176,000 in HOME funds and $6 million in Private Activity Bonds from the Department of Local Affairs each year. To assist with public service goals, Thornton Assistance Funds grants can be used support nonprofits that help residents meet their basic needs or help them attain self-sufficiency. These general funds are approved each year by City Council at approximately $74,000. Other city programs such as the Business Improvement Grants and Urban Renewal Funds help to support economic growth through public improvements, economic development projects and supporting local businesses. All of which will support new jobs in Thornton and may help the city reach the Consolidated Plan economic development goals. To assist with public infrastructure and public facilities goals, the city may realize benefits that tie to the Consolidated Plan through projects completed using Urban Drainage funding, Transportation Improvement Program funds, Adams County Open Space grants and Great Outdoors Colorado grants.


SP-40 Institutional Delivery Structure - 91.415, 91.215(k)

Explain the institutional structure through which the jurisdiction will carry out its consolidated plan including private industry, nonprofit organizations, and public institutions.

Responsible Entity Responsible Entity Type

Role Geographic Area Served

City of Thornton Government Agency Planning Jurisdiction Adams County Government Agency Planning Other: Adams County Adams County Housing Authority

Public Housing Authority

Affordable Housing – Rental Affordable Housing – Ownership Public Housing

Other: Adams County

Community of Faith – Cold Weather Care

Community/Faith-based Organization

Homeless Other: Adams County

Colorado Coalition for the Homeless

Sub-recipient Affordable Housing – Rental

State

Habitat for Humanity Sub-recipient Affordable Housing – Ownership

Region

GRID Alternatives Sub-recipient Affordable Housing – Ownership

State

Brothers’ Redevelopment Inc.

Sub-recipient Affordable Housing – Ownership

Region

Community Resources and Housing Development Corporation (CRHDC)

Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO)

Affordable Housing – Ownership

State

Denver Metro Fair Housing Center

Other: Fair Housing Center

Planning Region

Centura Health Sub-recipient Community Development: Public Facilities

State

Metro Denver Homeless Initiative

Other: Continuum of Care

Planning Region

Table 7 - Institutional Delivery Structure

Assess of Strengths and Gaps in the Institutional Delivery System One of the city’s strengths lies in its work to collaborate with adjacent jurisdictions, local nonprofits and housing organizations in an effort to provide viable living environments for low-income populations, deal with blighted conditions and handle emergency situations. A good example of this is when the metro area experience heavy rainfall in the fall of 2013. Many basements in Thornton were flooded and schools were closed. The city assessed areas in need, established a free trash pickup for items damaged in the flooding, sent bilingual employees to the County help centers to help those in need, and coordinated with nonprofit organizations and faith-based organizations to obtain volunteers to help disabled people remove damaged items from their home. Another example is the establishment of the Cold Weather Care program. A few years ago, a group of representatives from local nonprofit


organizations, faith-based organizations, the school district, the local housing authority and homeless service providers met to discuss the lack of an emergency homeless shelter in Adams County. Through those meetings, the group developed a program to provide emergency shelter in churches. The city amended the city code to allow for churches also be used as emergency shelters. The churches started a campaign to identify facilities and volunteers to provide dinner and stay with the participants overnight. The nonprofit organizations found cots and blankets for the emergency shelter program and transported them to and from the churches. Through collaborative coordination a program for homeless individuals was developed from just an idea. The primary gap in the institutional structure is the lack of knowledge that nonprofit staff members have with organization development, fundraising and understanding how to use government grants. City staff have been hosting training sessions and answering questions for local nonprofit organizations for the last six years on the Thornton Assistance Funds, CDBG, and other funding. Still, the organizations make requests for ineligible expenses, fail to provide the necessary documentation or have financial issues. There appears to be much turn over in the staff at nonprofit organizations, so city staff spends a good portion of their time training new nonprofit staff on a regular basis. This can be detrimental to CDBG funding, when staff change after funding has been awarded or mid way through a project. Currently, a CDBG project is on hold until the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless can identify a new project coordinator, since the last one moved to a different organization. Availability of services targeted to homeless persons and persons with HIV and mainstream services

Homelessness Prevention Services

Available in the Community

Targeted to Homeless

Targeted to People with HIV

Homelessness Prevention Services Counseling/Advocacy X X Legal Assistance Mortgage Assistance X Rental Assistance X Utilities Assistance X

Street Outreach Services Law Enforcement X Mobile Clinics X Other Street Outreach Services

Supportive Services Alcohol & Drug Abuse X Child Care X Education X Employment and Employment Training

X

Healthcare X HIV/AIDS Life Skills X Mental Health Counseling X Transportation X


Other Other

Table 8 - Homeless Prevention Services Summary Describe the extent to which services targeted to homeless person and persons with HIV and mainstream services, such as health, mental health and employment services are made available to and used by homeless persons (particularly chronically homeless individuals and families, families with children, veterans and their families and unaccompanied youth) and persons with HIV within the jurisdiction:

Neighborhood Services works with organizations that serve homeless persons or persons that are at-risk of becoming homeless. The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, Cold Weather Care, Access Housing, Growing Home, Almost Home and Adams County Housing Authority serve people who are homeless or close to being homeless in Adams County. These agencies have case workers that assist their clients with finding and accessing child care services, health services, transportation, GED classes and job skill training. The city provides contact information for these homeless service providers as well as other organizations that help people with their basic needs through the website. The list of resources includes agencies that provide food; housing; utility assistance; health care; help for home-bound, and assistance in a mental health crisis. This online resource is available 24 hours a day. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment estimated that in 2010, there were 670 persons living with HIV/AIDS in Adams County, representing less than .1% of the total population in the county. These numbers are not broken down by city. These residents can access services through the Colorado AIDS project. Additionally, the majority of organizations that provide the general services do so by collaborating to ensure that all persons (HIV/AIDS or homeless), regardless of age, race, or ethnicity, have access to their services. Clinica Family Health Services does conduct testing for HIV/AIDS; since it does not have the capacity to address more comprehensive needs, Clinica refers residents to the Colorado AIDS project. Describe the strengths and gaps of the service delivery system for special needs population and persons experiencing homelessness, including, but not limited to, the services listed above

The strength of the system to assist homeless individuals is that there are a variety of agencies established to address the needs of the homeless and special populations and they are seeking ways to improve services to their clients. Also, the housing service providers work together to prevent homelessness, address those that need immediate shelter and those that need assistance over a longer period to attain self-sufficiency. The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, Cold Weather Care, Access Housing, Growing Home, Almost Home and Adams County Housing Authority serve people who are homeless or close to being homeless in Adams County. When these agencies discover a gap in services, they get together to discuss the issue and attempt to develop a solution. An example of this approach, is the Center for Career and Community Enrichment (3CE) established by Adams County Housing Authority. This facility provides a one-stop-shop where residents can get job skills training, housing services, self-improvement services and adult education. Anyone in the community, no matter their income level, can use the services to help them advance their situation. Agencies that serve special needs populations seem to have access to a variety of funding streams, but operate in a silo. They do not communicate with similar agencies, and thus tend to try to take on a


greater burden of the needs. If they serve the frail elderly or disabled persons, these agencies have many issues to address. One of the gaps in the system is the lack of a centralize system that would allow agencies to quickly know if a person has already received or been referred for a particular service. When data was compared among two of the agencies, the agencies found that 40% of their clients were receiving services from both agencies. MDHI is piloting a coordinated rapid entry project that will streamline access and increase data quality and timeliness. This has the potential to decrease the number of residents who go from agency to agency requesting the same services. Also, it will allow a service provider to ensure a person is not receiving the same information repeatedly and identify the most appropriate resources for the person. Feedback from service providers for homeless and special needs populations was that transportation was one of the biggest challenges these populations face and yet the amount of transportation vouchers are limited and Access-a-Ride can have long wait times. The service providers continue to request grant funds for transportation. The demand for these types of services seem to outweigh what is available or may need to be restructured to better address the needs of these communities. Provide a summary of the strategy for overcoming gaps in the institutional structure and service delivery system for carrying out a strategy to address priority needs

Overcoming the gaps in the institutional structure and service delivery system must be done in collaboration with other funders and through partnerships. The city hopes to introduce service providers with other service providers that can partner or assist each other. Sharing information on MDHI’s rapid entry project may promote communication among agencies. The city is working the regional Transportation District to get the word out about the commuter rail and re-route buses so that people can take public transportation to and from work, school, and all their needed services. The city will continue to provide technical assistance to agencies funded through CDBG with the goal of helping them to increase their capacity and operate their business more efficiently. Since these agencies serve all residents of the county, the city will support the county in their efforts to increase the capacity of local nonprofits who are struggling to provide the same or increased levels of service to their clients.

SP-45 Goals - 91.415, 91.215(a)(4)

Goals Summary Information


Sort Order Goal Name Start

Year End Year Category Needs Addressed Goal Outcome Indicator

1 Housing Goal 2015 2019 Affordable Housing Public Housing Homeless Non-Homeless Special Needs

• Support Construction of Affordable Housing • Acquire Housing for Rehabilitation • Rehabilitate Owner-Occupied & Multifamily

Housing • Financial Assistance to Purchase a Home • Improve Energy Efficiency in Existing Housing • Support or Develop Housing for Homeless

• Rental units constructed: 4 Household Housing Unit

• Rental units rehabilitated: 50 Household Housing Unit

• Homeowner Housing Added: 4 Household Housing Unit

• Homeowner Housing Rehabilitated: 150 Household Housing Unit

• Direct Financial Assistance to Homebuyers: 10 Households Assisted

• Buildings Demolished: 1 Buildings 2 Public

Facilities and Infrastructure Goal

2015 2019 Non-Housing Community Development

• Flood and Drainage Improvements • Water and Sewer Improvements • Residential Street Improvements • Streetscape Improvements • Residential Sidewalk Improvements • Acquire, Construct or Rehabilitate Health

Facilities • Acquire, Construct or Rehabilitate Facilities

for Specific Populations • Acquire, Construct or Rehabilitate Youth and

Childcare Facilities • Develop or Improve Recreational Facilities,

Libraries and Parks

• Public Facility or Infrastructure Activities other than Low/Moderate Income Housing Benefit: 10,000 Persons Assisted

• Public Facility or Infrastructure Activities for Low/Moderate Income Housing Benefit: 4 Households Assisted

• Overnight/Emergency Shelter/Transitional Housing Beds added: 3 Beds


3 Public Services Goal

2015 2019 Homeless Non-Homeless Special Needs Non-Housing Community Development

• Support Employment Training • Support Improved Transportation Services • Support Improved Health Services • Increase or Improve Services for Specific

Populations • Support Improved Services for Youth or

Childcare • Screen for Lead-Based Paint Hazards • Provide Legal Services • Crime Awareness Education and Prevention

Services • Provide Housing and Rental Assistance

Counseling

• Public service activities other than Low/Moderate Income Housing Benefit: 350 Persons Assisted

• Homelessness Prevention: 15 Persons Assisted

4 Economic Development Goal

2015 2019 Non-Housing Community Development

• Provide Small Business Development Assistance

• Rehabilitate Commercial/Industrial Facilities • Develop Commercial/Industrial

Infrastructure

• Jobs created/retained: 5 Jobs • Businesses assisted: 1 Businesses

Assisted

Table 9 – Goals Summary

Goal Descriptions

1 Goal Name Housing Goal Goal Description

Expand and improve available housing options for low and moderate income residents.

• Develop and maintain quality and affordable housing options for owners and renters that are geographically dispersed throughout the city.

• Increase and maintain accessible housing options for the disabled and aging populations.

2 Goal Name Public Facilities and Infrastructure Goal Goal Description

Improve existing or support new infrastructure or public facilities that benefit low and moderate income residents.


• Support acquisition, improvements or construction of public facilities.


3 Goal Name Public Services Goal Goal Description

Expand and increase public services for low and moderate income residents. • Support services that address basic needs, increase self-sufficiency or educate residents.

4 Goal Name Economic Development Goal Goal Description

Increase efforts to develop, strengthen or expand local businesses.

• Support economic development activities that provide jobs or job training for low and moderate income residents. Table 17 – Goals Descriptions

Estimate the number of extremely low-income, low-income, and moderate-income families to whom the jurisdiction will provide affordable housing as defined by HOME 91.315(b)(2)

Based on previous year’s data, the city estimates that CDBG funds, along with other leveraged funds, will provide 218 households with affordable housing in addition to the existing affordable housing units as identified in the Housing Needs Assessment. This number was determined based on the following, five-year estimates:

• Down payment assistance will be provided to approximately 10 households; • Rehabilitation of 50 affordable rental units and 150 owner-occupied units; and • Development of four new owner-occupied units and four new rental units.

The above figures do not include affordable housing supported through the city’s allocation of HOME funds under the Adams County Consortium. The city anticipates that HOME funds will be used to support affordable housing in Thornton through down payment assistance, tenant-based rental assistance or construction of new affordable housing.


SP-55 – SP 60 - Strategic Plan Strategies to Address Barriers to Affordable Housing

The City of Thornton is dedicated to taking a proactive role to ensure that policies don’t impede the development or maintenance of affordable housing and therefore will take the following actions to address public policies that may be potential barriers to affordable housing and can help to further fair housing. • The city will review the Development code and consider adjusting the language regarding the

specific populations that may occupy group homes to ensure that the Code does not violate the rights of any protected class under the Fair Housing Act or Colorado law.

• The city will create a definition for assisted living and propose that this is added to the city code. • The city will work with key partners to identify opportunities to increase and maintain the affordable

housing throughout the city, especially accessible housing. • The city will monitor any proposed changes in its public policy that could impact future affordable

housing development. • The city will review the fair housing impediments and report what actions will be taken each year via

the Annual Action Plan. Accomplishments will be reported in the Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER).

• The city will work with housing developers to educate them on the benefits of and sources of funding that can be leveraged in projects that include some affordable units.

Strategies to Address Homelessness

The city hopes that regional efforts through MDHI will identify an accurate number of residents who are at-risk or currently homeless in the region and in specific counties. This data will help city to take strategic efforts to prevent homelessness and support services for homeless and near homeless populations. The city’s plans to take the actions to address homelessness:

• Coordinate with Metro Denver Homeless Initiative, the Continuum of Care, to identify the needs and develop strategies to address homelessness.

• Review the annual Point in Time Survey and the Cold Weather Care annual report to assess the needs and demographics of homeless individuals and develop strategies to address homelessness.

• Support the development of new affordable or transitional rental housing in the city to prevent families from becoming cost burden by housing and help prevent homelessness.

• Support programs that help residents stay in their homes and become self-sufficient. • Explore ways to increase employment training services. • Inform Section 3 businesses of CDBG-funded construction projects in the hopes of bolstering a

living wage for those that traditionally paid a low income. • Provide residents with information and referrals on housing and supportive service options to

help them find stable and affordable housing. • Consider providing tenant based rental assistance to residents to help offset the cost of housing

and increase the availability of affordable housing.


SP-65 Lead-based Paint Hazards - 91.415, 91.215(i) Actions to address LBP hazards and increase access to housing without LBP hazards

The city supports programs aimed at educating, preventing and addressing lead-based paint hazards, some of which are subject to the Lead-Safe Housing Rule Requirements identified in 24 CFR Part 35. To ensure the safety of the residents, the nonprofit housing agencies that will receive CDBG-funding will be expected to properly evaluate and remediate lead-based paint hazards.

• The contractor(s) for home repair programs funded with CDBG will be expected to test for lead-based paint if the work will disrupt an area that might have lead-based paint. The contractor will be expected to mitigate lead-based paint, if needed. The current contractor provides residents with pamphlets in English or Spanish to explain the potential hazards of lead-based paint.

• Agencies performing rehabilitation of existing housing or community centers will be expected to test for and mitigate lead-based paint hazardous.

• The city has made a concerted effort to support education on lead-based paint by placing information on the city website.

How are the actions listed above related to the extent of lead poisoning and hazards?

The actual number of houses that still have lead-based paint is difficult to determine, since people may have removed the paint on their own. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that more than 80% of all homes built in the U.S. before 1978 contain lead-based paint. CHAS data indicates that there are approximately 2,115 owner-occupied and 1,260 renter occupied houses in Thornton that were built before 1980 with children present. These numbers represent approximately 8% of the owner-occupied housing stock and 13% of the renter occupied housing stock. The city will need to take a broad approach to testing, since the only way to identify hazards is to test for lead paint. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) annually tests the blood levels of children to determine the rate of elevated levels of lead in their blood, which might result from lead-based paint in the home, schools, daycares or community centers. In 2011, the CPDHE found that .3% of the children living in Adams County tested had elevated levels of lead in their blood. This amount is similar to the statewide average. According to the Center for Disease Control, young children living in poverty have a higher risk of lead poisoning and other studies have confirmed that children with malnutrition or who are deficient in iron, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, riboflavin, vitamin C, and/or vitamin E are not able to expel lead from their bodies as effectively as their counterparts with healthy diets. This indicates that the hazard is real. While it may add to the expense of a rehabilitation project, efforts above will protect people, especially the most vulnerable populations, reduce lead-based paint in homes and community centers and increase the inventory of safe housing available. How are the actions listed above integrated into housing policies and procedures?

The city’s polices for the home repair programs require that the contractor identify whether or not lead-based paint could be present based on the scope of work and age of housing. In the event hazards are found, the policy states that the contractor will take the appropriate action to address the lead-based paint hazards as required by federal regulations based on the amount of funding provided to the home. Residents who live in homes must also be notified.


SP-70 Anti-Poverty Strategy - 91.415, 91.215(j) Jurisdiction Goals, Programs and Policies for reducing the number of Poverty-Level Families

The number of Thornton residents living in poverty is estimated to be 10,764. Poverty is the lack of food, shelter and other basic necessities for a maintaining quality of life. Homelessness is considered extreme poverty. The factors that have been tied to poverty are lack of financial resources due to lower educational attainment or having a job that only pays minimum wage. Other costs may also contribute such as high cost health issues, housing or child care needs. The city’s strategy to reduce poverty is to ameliorate these factors through ensuring services exist to help these people become self-sufficient. The city does not administer social service programs nor receive funding for human service programs. Therefore, the city’s efforts center on partnering with multiple organizations that do or might be able to address the underlying causes of poverty and support programs and services that help people to survive in the short term and move up the economic ladder over the long term. Education, training and employment opportunities are important components of breaking the cycle of poverty. The city will seek ways to support employment training and workforce development to low-income residents, which is a high priority need identified in this plan. Also, the city will continue to host homebuyer and foreclosure prevention workshops, which help people set goals and gain control of their finances so they are eligible for homeownership. Setting up a solid financial structure is one of the requirements of the home repair loan program as well. HUD-certified housing counselors will work with people prior to taking on the zero interest loan to help them understand what amount of loan they can and cannot afford. The city will explore other options to increase residents’ financial knowledge. The city is considering options to strengthen or expand local businesses through improvement grants, incentives and small business services. Neighborhood Services will inform Section 3 businesses about contracting, training and employment opportunities on construction projects. The purpose of Section 3 is to provide employment and economic opportunities to low-income individuals and businesses. The city will encourage agencies to seek ways to provide stability for low-income individuals and families and develop ways to move people from dependency. The city’s grant recommendation committee will thoroughly assess the requests for Thornton Assistance Funds from nonprofit service providers to determine which agencies not only assist with basic needs, but provide ways to help people achieve self-sufficiency or inspire residents to take action to get ahead. This could be in the form of sliding fee scales for health care or placing solar panels on the homes of low-income residents in exchange for sweat equity from the homeowner. How are the Jurisdiction poverty reducing goals, programs, and policies coordinated with this affordable housing plan

Providing a safe, stable home environment is critical for low to moderate income people to gain the skills to move out of poverty and achieve self-sufficiency. As Maslow’s hierarchy of needs states, one’s basic needs need to be met before he or she can grow in other areas. The city will encourage housing developers to build affordable housing that has child care facilities on-site or employment opportunities in close proximity. The city will look for other, unique ways to establish stability and a sense of safety for


those in the community, such as helping the city’s only domestic violence shelter to find funding to purchase a house rather than continue to lease a property in which the yearly lease is unpredictable.

SP-80 Monitoring - 91.230 Describe the standards and procedures that the jurisdiction will use to monitor activities carried out in furtherance of the plan and will use to ensure long-term compliance with requirements of the programs involved, including minority business outreach and the comprehensive planning requirements.

To ensure long-term compliance with the requirements, the city has developed a comprehensive monitoring plan for all projects receiving CDBG funds, including any internally managed projects. This information is incorporated into the city’s policies and procedures for the CDBG program. The primary objective is to ensure that federal funds received are used only for approved activities and are administered in accordance with all applicable city, state and federal requirements. The amount of monitoring will vary dependent on the sub-recipient’s previous CDBG experience, performance and the complexity of the project. The monitoring process incorporates a variety of techniques and tools into a coordinated effort to help ensure that all funded activities receive an appropriate level of review.

• Individual Project Monitoring: This is the primary technique used as it has shown to have the most impact on deterring potential issues and assuring compliance. Because the applicable regulations and sub-recipients experience using CDBG can vary widely, city staff provide ongoing technical assistance and a comprehensive review of projects throughout the life of the project.

• Desk-Top Monitoring: This monitoring technique provides staff with an effective tool for examining ongoing project activities. Some of the items reviewed through this process include quarterly reports, financial audits and project completion reports. The information helps determine if the agency is on track with accomplishments and expenditures and identifies the need for additional technical assistance or future on-site visits.

• On-Site Visits: The city conducts on-site monitoring of new sub-recipients that received funds in the past year. This is a comprehensive review of programmatic and financial records to ensure all required documentation is maintained and address any issues with the program or agency that may impact compliance with regulations. Certain situations warrant an additional on-site visit with the sub-recipient to discuss issues, such as if an agency is encountering project implementation issues, or the other monitoring conducted has identified a potential issue.

• Specific Regulation Compliance (i.e. Davis-Bacon, Section 3 and Minority/Women Owned Business): Projects requiring compliance with any of these specific regulations will be provided with additional technical assistance and monitoring. City staff will attend the pre-bid and pre-construction meeting to provide a general overview of the requirements and answer questions. Once a contract is awarded, staff will work with the contractor and sub-recipient to thoroughly explain the requirements, obtain the necessary paperwork and assure payment of prevailing wages through payroll review and on-site interviews.

• Drawdown Requests: The validity of expenditures is verified through the review of reimbursement requests. The request must clearly describe the expenditure and is reviewed for eligibility, consistency with approved project expenses, verification of remaining balance, proof of expense and of payment and compliance with the scope of work.

• City Specific: Thornton has several overarching measures in place to ensure compliance with city, state and federal regulations for all city projects, regardless of the funding source. These


measures include the annual external audit of the Finance Department which includes OMB Circular A-133 compliance and the Purchasing/Contract Administration Manual under which the Contracts & Purchasing department operates.

2015 Annual Action Plan AP-15 Expected Resources - 91.420(b), 91.220(c)(1,2)

Introduction

The City of Thornton will receive two major sources of funding, CDBG and HOME, from HUD that can help address the goals outlined in the Consolidated Plan. The city participates in the Adams County Consortium for the receipt of HOME funds. Since Adams County is administrator of the HOME funds and is ultimately responsible for reporting to HUD, the estimated HOME allocation is not included in the source of funds chart below.

Anticipated Resources

Program Source

of Funds

Uses of Funds

Expected Amount Available Year 1 *Expected Amount Available Reminder

of Con Plan

$

Narrative Annual Allocation

$

Program Income

$

Prior Year Resources

$ Total:

$

CDBG public -

federal

Acquisition Admin and

Planning Economic

Development Housing Public

Improvements Public Services $620,788 0 0 $620,788 2,990,000

Funds allocated by

HUD to Thornton directly,

through the Entitlement

program.

Table 10 - Anticipated Resources *Based on average of past six years allocations and rounded to nearest even number.

Explain how federal funds will leverage those additional resources (private, state and local funds), including a description of how matching requirements will be satisfied

The City of Thornton encourages sub-recipients to leverage other resources to further the impact of the funds. Between 2010 and 2014, 50% of the CDBG projects leveraged additional resources totaling more than $9.5 million. The city has partnered with Adams County and the state to appropriately utilize multiple funding sources to support affordable housing projects in Thornton. The city expects the leveraging of funding and partnerships to continue as a means to provide a viable community for low-income residents.


If appropriate, describe publically owned land or property located within the state that may be used to address the needs identified in the plan

At this time, the city has not identified any publicly owned land or property to use in order to address the needs identified in the Consolidated Plan. However, the Thornton Development Authority does own some properties within the city that could be used in the future to help the city meet the priorities and goals identified in this plan. Discussion

The city will consider and actively pursue using additional funding sources other than CDBG funds to support goals in the Consolidated Plan. To assist with housing goals, the city plans to use HOME funds and Private Activity Bonds to increase the number or improve the number of affordable housing units or provide financial assistance to low and moderate income renters and owners. The city receives an average allocation of $176,000 in HOME funds and $6 million in Private Activity Bonds from the Department of Local Affairs each year. To assist with public service goals, Thornton Assistance Funds grants can be used support nonprofits that help residents meet their basic needs or help them attain self-sufficiency. These general funds are approved each year by City Council at approximately $74,000. Other city programs such as the Business Improvement Grants and Urban Renewal Funds help to support economic growth through public improvements, economic development projects and supporting local businesses. All of which will support new jobs in Thornton and may help the city reach the Consolidated Plan economic development goals. To assist with public infrastructure and public facilities goals, the city may realize benefits that tie to the Consolidated Plan through projects completed using Urban Drainage funding, Transportation Improvement Program funds, Adams County Open Space grants and Great Outdoors Colorado grants.


AP-20 Annual Goals and Objectives - 91.420, 91.220(c)(3)&(e)

Goals Summary Information

Sort Order Goal Name Start

Year End Year Category Geographic

Area Needs

Addressed Funding Goal Outcome Indicator

1 Housing

2015 2019 Affordable Housing

Public Housing

Homeless

Non-Homeless Special Needs

N/A Rehabilitate Owner-occupied and Multifamily

Housing

Improve Energy Efficiency of

Existing Housing

Support Construction of

Affordable Housing

CDBG: $177,761

Homeowner Housing

Rehabilitated: 16 Household Housing Unit

Homeowner

Housing Added: 2 Household

Housing Units

Rental Units Constructed:

160 Household Housing Units

2 Public Facilities

and Infrastructure

2015 2019 Non-Housing Community

Development

Flood and Drainage

Improvements

Facilities for Specific

Populations

CDBG: $331,027

Public Facility or Infrastructure

Activities other than Low and

Moderate Income Housing Benefit: 2,040

Persons Assisted

Public Facility or Infrastructure Activities for

Low and Moderate

Income Housing Benefit:

5 Households Assisted

Table 11 – Goals Summary

Goal Descriptions

Housing Goal: Expand and improve available housing options for low and moderate income residents. • Develop and maintain quality and affordable housing options for owners and renters that are

geographically dispersed throughout the city. • Increase and maintain accessible housing options for the disabled and aging populations.

Public Facilities and Infrastructure Goal: Improve existing or support new infrastructure or public facilities that benefit low and moderate income residents.



• Support acquisition, improvements or construction of public facilities. AP-35 Projects - 91.420, 91.220(d)

Introduction

In 2015, up to 20% of the CDBG allocation will be used to support the administration of the program. Neighborhood Services will also be updating the policies and procedures for the program, the Limited English Proficiency Plan and the existing CDBG contract templates. The remainder of the grant will fund projects that benefit the LMI community and meet a priority need.

The following projects meet a high priority need:

• $25,000 will be used for the Help for Homes minor home repair program. The program provides free minor home repairs for LMI homeowners over the age of 55 or who have a disabled family member. Repairs must be related to health, safety and accessibility. The goal is to enable LMI individuals the opportunity to stay in their home while ensuring their basic needs are met.

• $20,000 will be used for the Home Repair Loan program, which provides a loan to homeowners who need to make a costly home repair, such as replacing a sewer line, or have extensive work needed, such as accessibility improvements throughout a home. Applicants are required to meet with a HUD certified housing counselor to review their finances and determine if they are a viable candidate for a loan. The city works with a local nonprofit to address the improvements and administer the program.

• $30,000 will allow Habitat for Humanity to purchase land in Thornton to develop an affordable duplex to be sold to families who make between 35% and 60% of the area median income. Once the land has been identified, Neighborhood Services will notify HUD and the location will be updated in the Integrated Disbursement Information System (IDIS). Applicants are required to attend educational classes on homeownership and provide sweat equity hours.

• $52,500 will be allocated to GRID Alternatives, a nonprofit agency that installs free solar panels on the homes of LMI homeowners to offset electricity costs and increase energy efficiency. Applicants are required to attend an informational class that describes the program and provide sweat equity hours. GRID Alternatives also provides on-the-job training to volunteers that help to install the panels.

• $94,000 will be used for engineering, design and construction costs to address drainage and accessibility issues in a LMI neighborhood in south Thornton. The city Infrastructure Management Department will oversee the project.

• $50,261 will be used to cover the costs associated with creating the infrastructure required for the development of Adams County Housing Authority’s new affordable rental housing complex near a commuter rail stop. The Housing Authority plans to construct 160 to 200 new rental units for individuals and families at or below 80% of the area median income.

The following projects meet a low priority need:

• $192,027 will be granted to Centura Health at Home’s Villas at Sunny Acres senior living community to expand the amount of assisted living units in Thornton. CDBG funds will be used to support the rehabilitation required to convert five or more units, including making these units


American Disability Act (ADA) accessible, as required by the state. • $45,000 will be used to carry out security and safety improvements at Shiloh House’s Sanctuary

facility in Thornton. The nonprofit facility provides shelter, counseling and educational services to at-risk, abused or neglected youth. CDBG funds will be used to replace existing doors to ensure the safety and security of this population and the staff. The existing doors are warped, cracked and severely damaged and, therefore, do not close properly and cannot be locked.

If any of the 2015 projects are not able to move forward or have remaining funds after they commence or are completed, the city has the option to re-assign funds to any of the other existing, approved 2015 projects.

Describe the reasons for allocation priorities and any obstacles to addressing underserved needs

Each of the projects listed above meet a priority need, goal and objective as outlined in the Strategic Plan section of this plan. By supporting projects that met the goals and objectives in the Plan, the city is helping to address underserved needs in our community.

CDBG funds alone cannot meet all the needs of the low and moderate income population. The needs continue to increase as the population has changed and new issues arise. In the last five years, Thornton’s population has grown and become more culturally diverse. The city is aware of this change and evaluates the need annually for appropriate ways to embrace the change and serve the larger more diverse population. The city is attempting to ensure boards that represent the racial and ethnic face of the community as well as having materials available in both English and Spanish.

The rising cost of development and construction and the increased competitiveness for funding to support housing projects has impacted some agencies ability to move forward with projects in a timely manner. Since the announcement that a commuter rail line will start running through Thornton in 2018 to connect people to downtown Denver, the airport and other cities in the metro region, the market price of land near the commuter rail stops have increased dramatically. There is consensus that it is of public benefit to have affordable housing and services for low-income people near public transportation. However, most of the land surrounding the commuter rail stops is privately owned, leaving it to the discretion of the land owners as to how much to sell the property for during a time in which there has been a dramatic increase in the cost of land. The substantial increase in land cost is an obstacle to fulfilling the needs of the low-income population.

City staff provides information and technical assistance to agencies that may face these types of obstacles. This may come in the form of promoting their housing programs through the city, assisting them in securing a location to host educational workshops, acting as a liaison between developers and city planning staff to navigate through the technical aspects of the development process, working with them one-on-one to understand their needs and recommend funding sources based upon those needs, or helping them understand what sites may be available for development or rehabilitation.

The city did not receive any requests for public service programs in 2015. This may be due to a combination of factors: 1) Adams County accepted applications for Community Service Block Grant funding this year, 2) the Thornton Assistance Funds is the primary grant in Thornton for funding nonprofit organizations that serve the basic needs of Thornton residents, and 3) agencies do not always have the capacity to provide the city with the necessary documentation should they receive CDBG funds


for public service projects. City staff will continue to provide information to organizations on potential grants to fund public service activities. For example, the city presented a workshop on Thornton Assistance Funds in the fall of 2014; there was a significant increase in requests for 2015. All of the requests which focus on food, health, housing and human services will serve the needs of the underserved populations.

AP-38 Project Summary Project Summary Information

1 Project Name CDBG Program Administration

Target Area Not applicable.

Goals Supported Not applicable.

Needs Addressed Not applicable.

Funding CDBG: $112,000

Description The city will use CDBG funds to carry out activities associated with program administration and management of the CDBG program.

Target Date 7/31/2016

Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities

Not applicable.

Location Description Not applicable.

Planned Activities The activities include the costs associated with the administration and planning of the CDBG program and continued compliance with the CDBG regulations.


2 Project Name Public Facility and Infrastructure Improvements Target Area Not applicable. Goals Supported Public Facility and Infrastructure Improvements Goal Needs Addressed Infrastructure: Flood and Drainage Improvements

Facilities for Specific Populations Funding CDBG: $331,027 Description The public facility and infrastructure projects are designed to carry out

the Priority Community Development Needs identified in this plan. Projects support low and moderate income families or improve eligible areas. Improvements may include the acquisition, construction or rehabilitation of health facilities, youth centers, facilities serving individuals with disabilities, homeless facilities, or nonprofit facilities as well as upgrading drainage, sidewalks, and water lines.

Target Date 10/31/2016 Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities

It is estimated that 1,950 residents in the low and moderate census tract 91.01 will benefit from the drainage improvements. The number of residents found in the census tract and block group is included in the Goal Outcome Indicator as Public Facility or Infrastructure Activities other than Low/Moderate Income Housing Benefit as there isn't a category for low moderate area information. It is estimated that 5 households will benefit from the proposed activity at Villas at Sunny Acres. It is estimated that 90 youth will benefit from the proposed activity as Shiloh House.

Location Description The infrastructure improvements will be conducted at Yucca and Eppinger which is located in a low-income Census tract. The facility improvements will be located at 2501 East 104th Avenue and 8461 Delaware Street.

Planned Activities Planned Activity 1 – Drainage and Accessibility Improvements. This project will decrease the chance for flooding and debris collecting behind the homes as well as address ADA issues. Planned Activity 2 – Villas at Sunny Acres Assisted Living Units. This project will include the conversion of 27 units from independent living to assisted living, some of which will receive accessibility improvements. CDBG funds will support the conversion of five of these units. Planned Activity 3 – Shiloh House Security Improvements. The project will replace the existing damaged doors at the facility that impact the security of the facility and are a safety risk for clients and staff.


3 Project Name Housing Improvement Programs Target Area Not applicable. Goals Supported Housing Goal Needs Addressed Rehabilitate Owner-occupied and Multifamily Housing

Improve Energy Efficiency of Existing Housing Support Construction of Affordable Housing

Funding CDBG: $177,761 Description The housing improvement programs are designed to carry out the

Priority Housing Needs identified in the 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan. The projects and/or activities may include the support of housing construction, direct homeownership assistance, single-family rehabilitation, multifamily rehabilitation, energy efficiency improvements and acquisition for rehabilitation.

Target Date 10/31/2016 Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities

It is estimated that 18 families will benefit from the activities. It is estimated that the home improvement programs will serve at least 11 families; seven families through the Help for Homes program and four through the Home Repair Loan program. The acquisition of a vacant parcel to develop a duplex that will be sold to two LMI homebuyers. The solar panel project will benefit five homeowners. It is estimated that 160 new rental units will be constructed because of the proposed infrastructure support of Adams County Housing Authority’s affordable rental development.

Location Description The location of the land acquisition, minor repair, rehabilitation and solar panel installation programs have yet to be determined. The installation of infrastructure for a new affordable rental development is located at 104th and Colorado Blvd.

Planned Activities Planned Activity 1 – Help for Homes program for free minor home repairs that increase the safety and accessibility of the homes of low-income homeowners that are 55 or older or have someone living in the home with a disability. Planned Activity 2 – Home Repair Loan program to address major home repairs like accessibility improvements and roof or sewer line replacement for low-income homeowners. Planned Activity 3 - Land Acquisition for Homeownership. Purchase of a vacant parcel to develop a duplex that will be sold to future homeowners through Habitat for Humanity’s program. Planned Activity 4 – Solar Affordable Housing Program. Install free solar panels on the homes of low-income residents to reduce energy costs. Planned Activity 5 – Support of Construction of New Affordable Housing. This project will support the creation of infrastructure required for the development of a new affordable rental complex.

Table 12 – Project Information


AP-50 Geographic Distribution - 91.420, 91.220(f)

Description of the geographic areas of the entitlement (including areas of low-income and minority concentration) where assistance will be directed

While the city does not have any specific geographic target areas identified in the Consolidated Plan to direct assistance, Thornton has identified the boundaries of the CDBG-eligible area which encompasses neighborhoods south of 104th. This section of the city is comprised of neighborhoods that have a higher concentration of low-income individuals. Also, there is a higher concentration of Hispanic individuals in the southern section of Thornton than in other areas of the city. Some of the southern tracts consist of more than 50% Hispanic population according American Community Survey data. As indicated by the

maps, the areas with the largest percentage of Hispanic individuals coincides with the areas that have the highest proportion of families living at or below poverty.

The Shiloh House Security Improvement project, Adams County Housing Authority’s affordable rental development and the Drainage and Accessibility Improvement projects will all take place within the CDBG-eligible areas, located in south Thornton.

All of the 2015 housing projects will benefit residents who meet the low and moderate income requirement. Given that the majority of this population resides in south Thornton and based on the areas that have benefitted from these or similar programs historically, it is probable that the funds will be allocated to homes that fall within this same area. Likewise, the Villas at Sunny Acres project is located immediately outside of the CDBG-eligible area but will benefit residents who could fall into the presumed benefit category of frail elderly.


Geographic Distribution

Target Area Percentage of Funds N/A N/A

Table 13 - Geographic Distribution Rationale for the priorities for allocating investments geographically

As discussed above, although the city is not taking concerted efforts to target resources in a specific area, it is likely that a majority of the funds will benefit individuals in the CDBG-eligible areas. Discussion

In addition to the information provided by the Census, the city has worked on other studies and plans that provide detailed information on the needs of the community as a whole. All studies indicate that the areas in the south show the most need for reinvestment; CDBG funds will likely benefit those same areas. However, the Housing Needs Assessment suggests that there is a need to disperse affordable housing throughout the city so opportunities to support projects that are in the middle and northern sections of the city will be evaluated, as well as affordable housing projects close to the future commuter rail stops that meet the city’s affordable housing policy goals.

AP-55 Affordable Housing – 91.420, 91.220 (g)

Introduction

In 2015, the city will use CDBG funds to support affordable housing projects and homeownership programs. These include the home improvement programs that provide grants and loans that will rehabilitate 11 existing housing units, Habitat for Humanity’s land acquisition for the purpose of constructing two new affordable housing units, the support of ACHA’s new affordable rental housing and GRID Alternative’s solar panels installation program that will put solar panels on five homes. All of the projects aimed at homeowners have an educational component that provides the homeowner or future homeowner with the tools necessary to successfully obtain or maintain their home.

One Year Goals for the Number of Households to be Supported Homeless 0 Non-Homeless 171 Special-Needs 7 Total 178

Table 14 - One Year Goals for Affordable Housing by Support Requirement

One Year Goals for the Number of Households Supported Through Rental Assistance 0 The Production of New Units 162 Rehab of Existing Units 16 Acquisition of Existing Units 0 Total 178

Table 15 - One Year Goals for Affordable Housing by Support Type


In addition to new projects funded with 2015 CDBG, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) will start their 2014 funded project aimed at improving the accessibility of entrances at Renaissance 88, an apartment complex serving the low-income formerly homeless individuals and families. The improvements to the entrances of the permanent supportive housing development will increase the accessibility for people with mobility impairments. While this project will finish during the 2015 program year, the data is not reflected in the one year goals because the project was reported in the 2014 AAP. Additionally, the improvements discussed at Renaissance 88 are not to the units, but the property and, therefore, not counted in number of units rehabilitated in the 2014 AAP.

AP-65 Homeless and Other Special Needs Activities – 91.420, 91.220 (i)

Introduction

The city does not directly administer homeless or homeless prevention programs or grants. Therefore, the city uses CDBG funds and Thornton Assistance Funds to support affordable housing, as well as public facilities and services for populations at-risk of homelessness in Thornton.

In 2015, the city will support the grant program administered by GRID Alternatives to install solar panels on the homes of low and moderate income residents to help offset energy costs. This program helps to ensure that the residents’ homes continue to remain affordable. Due to the limited income of the people served, unanticipated costs, such as repairs or high energy bills, can place homeowners in a situation in which they have to choose between basic needs and unforeseen expenses. Also, the city will support the Home Repair Loan program, which is aimed at providing repairs that improve health, safety and accessibility for low and moderate income homeowners. These improvements allow homeowners to safely remain in their homes without becoming cost burdened by expensive repairs.

The Villas at Sunny Acres senior living campus is a system of care that may discharge individuals into homelessness if the agency is unable to serve a client’s needs. This has been a real situation since the facility has a consistent demand of residents in the independent living units who need to move to assisted living; if Sunny Acres cannot accommodate moving a person or couple into assisted living then that person or couple must move from the campus. Often times, because of the limited number of assisted living units, residents deny needing additional assistance resulting in potential health and safety hazards or couples are forced to separate from their spouse in order for the one in need of additional services to receive the care he/she needs. To address this problem, the agency will convert 27 of their independent living units to assisted living, thus increasing the agency’s capacity to allow couples to remain together and allow seniors to continue to age in their community.

Shiloh House’s Sanctuary facility serves at-risk youth, some of which are homeless. The facility provides youth from five to 17 with up to two weeks of shelter, crisis intervention, educational services, and treatment. The center has 20 beds to serve two residential programs. Many of the doors in the facility are damaged and do not operate properly, increasing the safety risk to both youth and staff. Ensuring that the doors operate properly will allow the agency to provide a secure environment in which staff has enough time to intervene with youth considering leaving the facility or harming themselves.

Also, the city will work with Colorado Coalition for the Homeless to complete the improvements at their permanent supportive housing complex, known as Renaissance 88. The agency houses formerly homeless individuals and families and provides support services aimed at connecting the residents with basic needs and increasing their self-sufficiency. CDBG is funding the improvements to the entrances of the housing complex to increase the accessibility for their residents with mobility impairments.


In addition to CDBG, the city will award $73,950 in Thornton Assistance Funds grants to assist nonprofit agencies to serve the basic needs of Thornton residents. The grant program is the city's most significant source of funding to help residents reduce their risk of becoming homeless through financially supporting homeless service providers. Also, the city will refer agencies to Adams County to apply for the Community Services Block Grant and Emergency Shelter Grant, which support agencies that provide direct assistance to individuals at-risk of becoming or currently homeless, including motel vouchers and other emergency services.

Describe the jurisdictions one-year goals and actions for reducing and ending homelessness including reaching out to homeless persons (especially unsheltered persons) and assessing their individual needs

The most significant action the city will take on during 2015 to reduce and address homelessness is to continue to expand the partnership and collaboration with Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI), the local Continuum of Care. The city met with MDHI during the development of the 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan to determine the needs in the community and identify the actions that MDHI was taking to address homelessness throughout Adams County. The city plans to support and promote MDHI’s initiatives to address the needs of at-risk and homeless populations. For example, the Landlord Recruitment Campaign is seeking to engage landlords, management staff and property owners to rent to individuals with barriers, such as criminal records or bad credit. The city provided time at a recent meeting with property managers of apartments in Thornton to inform them about the program goals and how to participate, if interested. This effort supports the housing goal to expand and improve available housing options to meet the needs of low and moderate income residents, especially those that are homeless or at-risk of homelessness.

Addressing the emergency shelter and transitional housing needs of homeless persons

There is one temporary emergency homeless shelter program operating in Thornton. The Adams County Cold Weather Care program provides overnight shelter for homeless individuals at churches throughout the county between October and April. Three of the four churches involved in the program are located in Thornton. This program is run by volunteers and one paid case manager. The city keeps in contact with the case manager as well as provides free fire safety inspections of the churches and shower facilities, when needed. In 2015, the city will continue to offer this assistance and keep connected to the program leaders in an effort to address homeless needs in the community.

There is one domestic violence shelter in Thornton. The domestic violence organization is leasing a house for this shelter and would like to own their own house in order to stabilize costs and ensure a permanent shelter in the community. City staff informed the executive director about eligible uses of CDBG for purchasing or rehabilitating an existing home, which are high priority needs in the Consolidated Plan, and how to apply for CDBG. Arising Hope applied to the county for 2015 CDBG funding, since they are looking at homes in Northglenn and Brighton.

The city will also provide referrals to homeless persons or residents that are at-risk of being homeless. This includes making referrals to the Adams County homeless service provider network, providing the Affordable Rentals and Emergency Housing brochure (English and Spanish), and working with other city staff to ensure they are aware of the resources that are available for this population. In addition, nonprofits that provide these resources may be funded through the Thornton Assistance Funds program. These efforts tie directly to the public services goal to increase essential public services for low and moderate income residents.


Helping homeless persons (especially chronically homeless individuals and families, families with children, veterans and their families, and unaccompanied youth) make the transition to permanent housing and independent living, including shortening the period of time that individuals and families experience homelessness, facilitating access for homeless individuals and families to affordable housing units, and preventing individuals and families who were recently homeless from becoming homeless again

The city plans to support and work with MDHI on initiatives to help homeless persons make the transition to permanent housing and independent living. Since MDHI is collecting data from the area for homeless individuals, they have the best chance of developing successful strategies to assist people to move from homelessness to independent living. For example, in 2015 MDHI is taking on is the Landlord Recruitment Campaign, a strategy to educate and engage landlords and property owners about offering rental units to those most difficult to house. In order to help increase awareness of the program, the city has provided ideas on who to connect with in the community and time at a meeting with property managers at multifamily complexes to get the word out.

Also, the city is considering applications from six organizations that have applied for 2015 Thornton Assistance Funds that state they will use funding to assist near homeless persons with case management, financial training or emergency housing costs to prevent eviction.

Helping low-income individuals and families avoid becoming homeless, especially extremely low-income individuals and families and those who are: being discharged from publicly funded institutions and systems of care (such as health care facilities, mental health facilities, foster care and other youth facilities, and corrections programs and institutions); or, receiving assistance from public or private agencies that address housing, health, social services, employment, education, or youth needs.

Most of the actions taken by the city are directed at preventing homelessness. The Point in Time Study conducted by MDHI in 2014 indicated that nearly 21% of homeless individuals in Adams County attributed being homeless to an inability to pay housing costs and another 10% of the individuals surveyed attributed their homelessness to excessive utility costs. Therefore, in 2015, Thornton will conduct the following activities aimed at preventing homelessness:

• Coordinate with and refer individuals to local homeless service providers, such as Access Housing, Growing Home and Almost Home, as well as agencies that provide emergency financial assistance so people can afford to stay in their home or apartment.

• Provide resources to residents who are in need of housing. This includes distributing the affordable rental and emergency housing and food bank brochure (English and Spanish versions); maintaining up to date information on Thornton Cares, the city’s website that lists resources such as transportation, housing and supportive services.

• Talk with agencies that provide services to those at-risk of becoming homeless to get their feedback on how the city can appropriately assist with initiatives to address homelessness. Last year, the city promoted ways to get involved during the national Homeless and Hunger Week.


• Attend MDHI meetings to learn about the latest statistics or actions being taken to help those most vulnerable populations.

• Fund the solar panels through GRID Alternatives to reduce the utility bills for low-income residents and the Home Repair Loan program, which provides zero interest loans to homeowners in need of costly home repairs related to health, safety or accessibility.

• Support the conversion of five of the independent living units to assisted living units at the Villas at Sunny Acres community. The conversion will increase the amount of assisted living available for frail and elderly residents living at the Villas at Sunny Acres who are in need of a greater level of care to remain at that facility.

• Support the facility improvements at Shiloh House’s Sanctuary facility to increase the security and safety of the youth and the staff and achieve the priority need to rehabilitate public facilities that serve special populations.

• Promote free foreclosure prevention, rent and utility assistance and first-time homebuyer workshops as well as Adams County Housing Authority’s down payment assistance for first time homebuyers, which is funded by the city’s HOME funds. One of the Consolidated Plan’s high priority needs is to provide financial assistance to purchase a home in Thornton.

• Work with Adams County Housing Authority, Community Resources and Housing Development Corporation (CRHDC) and Habitat for Humanity to increase the amount of affordable housing in Thornton, which is a high priority goal.

AP -75 Barriers to Affordable Housing

Introduction

The 2014 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing (AI) document indicated that Thornton’s policies and practices are consistent with neighboring jurisdictions and do not place undue burdens on housing developers. However, a representative of the HUD Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity expressed concern regarding the language in the city’s development code on group homes.

The two greatest barriers to building new affordable housing is the increasing cost of raw land in Thornton, especially around areas planned for the commuter rail, and public opposition to proposed apartment complexes. Also, there is a limited amount of housing stock with accessible features, making it challenging for people with disabilities to find an affordable place to live. While these are private market issues, the city can find ways to incentivize the private market to reduce these barriers.

Actions it planned to remove or ameliorate the negative effects of public policies that serve as barriers to affordable housing such as land use controls, tax policies affecting land, zoning ordinances, building codes, fees and charges, growth limitations, and policies affecting the return on residential investment

The consultant hired to produce the city’s 2014 Housing Needs Assessment and AI reviewed the city's codes, planning fees, policies and programs to determine if the city acknowledges and addresses housing and workforce needs, is planning for mixed housing, encourages housing for special needs populations and provides incentives for affordable housing. No issues with public policies impacting affordable housing were found. However, after reviewing the Needs Assessment the Equal Opportunity


Specialist at the HUD Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity expressed concern regarding the language in the city’s development code on group homes. The language referred to specific populations that may occupy the group homes. Based upon the analysis and this feedback, the city plans to review and consider removing the language to ensure that the development code does not violate the rights of any protected class under the Fair Housing Act or Colorado law.

The city will also pursue means to reduce barriers established by the private market.

• In response to the increasing cost of raw land in Thornton, especially around areas planned for the commuter rail, the city will consider allocating funding to affordable housing projects to reduce the development costs. As an example, the City Council recently decided to support two projects to develop new affordable housing, which include supporting the infrastructure costs associated with the development of a new rental complex and providing more 2014 HOME funds to the development of duplexes after unanticipated construction costs were identified and utility costs dramatically increased on the project. Also, the city will continue to offer prospective developers the opportunity to meet with staff to discuss a land use proposal before submitting a formal application to the city. During the meeting, staff explains the application review process in the meeting, answers questions and addresses areas of concern before a formal application is submitted in order to reduce the time and costs for applicants.

• To help future homeowners, the city funds down payment assistance with HOME funds and participates in the Metro Mortgage Assistance program, which funded down payment assistance up to four percentage of a mortgage loan for 55 families who purchased a home in Thornton in 2014. The city will continue to host free homebuyer education classes with HUD-certified agencies.

• To inspire people to make necessary accessibility changes to their homes, the city allows homeowners to use the Home Repair Loan to make such improvements. Also, the Help for Homes program will pay for accessibility needs, such as walk-in bathtubs or wheelchair ramps.

• To address NIMBYism, “Not In My Backyard”, public opposition to proposed apartment complexes, the city plans to educate and inform residents about examples of visually appealing affordable developments that have recently been constructed in the metro Denver area and the benefits of mixed income communities.

Discussion

In addition, Thornton’s Affordable Housing Policy encourages new affordable housing to be located within a quarter of a mile of transportation including bus stops and commuter rail and in close proximity to basic services, such as schools, child care facilities, grocery stores and medical services and have energy efficiency measures or improvements.

AP-85 Other Actions - 91.420, 91.220(k)

Introduction

As described in this Plan and Projects section, there are a variety of obstacles to meeting underserved needs in the city. These include a growing need for services as the community expands, a lack of education of available resources within the community, competition for federal and state funds, availability of accessible and affordable housing, the increased cost of housing, gaps in affordability of


owner-occupied and rental housing for populations at specific income levels, concentrated areas of affordable housing, and increased compliance and technical skills required for administering the funds.

Actions planned to address obstacles to meeting underserved needs

The city is will take the following actions to in order to meet the needs of the underserved population.

• Actively pursue increasing the amount of new affordable housing or work to replace any loss of affordable units in the private market. Historically, the city has allocated CDBG funds to affordable housing projects which were also leveraging state and county funds and assigned Private Activity Bonds for future affordable housing projects. The city has provided letters of support for quality affordable housing projects being considered for Low Income Housing Tax Credits.

• Make some policy changes to include a definition of assisted living in the city code, which should help in the development review and approval process for this type of housing. The Housing Needs Assessment found that Thornton lacks assisted living units for low-income people.

• Participate in regional meetings to learn about changes to existing services and new programs available to residents, specifically programs to reverse homelessness.

• Thornton will take the following actions to provide residents with information on available services and programs in order to help meet underserved needs in the community.

o Website. The city posts information on the city website that people can access 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There is contact information for social service providers and community organizations, such as food banks, health providers, and agencies that assist with substance abuse, transportation, water assistance, or housing.

o Resources to Minority Populations. The City of Thornton will continue to offer resources for residents who prefer to speak Spanish (this is the 2nd most spoken language according to the Census next to English). In 2015, the city will update the Limited English Proficiency Plan and re-evaluate the methods used to reach these populations.

o Educational Workshops and Special Events. The city has hosted and will continue to host free educational workshops and events throughout the year focusing on energy efficiency, first time homebuyer workshops, coat and food drives, and senior services. In addition, the city will attend community meetings to provide resources to low-income and special needs populations.

Actions planned to foster and maintain affordable housing

In 2015, Thornton will support the development and preservation of affordable housing by awarding CDBG funds to Habitat for Humanity to purchase a vacant parcel in order to build an affordable duplex that will be sold to low and moderate income homebuyers. Also, the city will fund CRHDC’s construction of two affordable duplexes for rent in Thornton using 2014 HOME funds. Also, the city will be reviewing architectural and engineering drawings for a future affordable housing complex that is slated to bring up to 200 apartments to serve people at or below 80% area median income.

Also, the city will continue to support opportunities for low to moderate income people to become first time homeowners. These strategies include promoting down payment down payment and closing cost assistance programs offered by Adams County Housing Authority, Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, and the Metro Mortgage Assistance Plus Program, which provides a down payment grant equal to 4% of the mortgage amount.


Actions planned to reduce lead-based paint hazards

In 2015, the City of Thornton will contract with nonprofit agencies dedicated to the evaluation and abatement of lead-based paint in housing constructed before 1978.

• Brothers’ Redevelopment, the agency that coordinates the construction work for both of the city home improvement programs, complies with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations for lead-based paint and has specific actions they follow or require their contractors to follow for testing and abatement if necessary. Depending on the square footage or cost of the potential area of disturbance, different levels of mitigation are done. Homeowners are provided with EPA pamphlets in English or Spanish.

• The 2015 project to convert independent living unit to assisted living units will take place on a building constructed in 1972. This rehabilitation work may require lead-based testing to be completed.

Grant administration staff will review the actions taken for these projects and ensure supporting documentation is in place in order to be in compliance with the Lead-Safe Housing Rule Requirements, as identified in 24 Code of Federal Regulations Part 35. Actions planned to reduce the number of poverty-level families

The 2012 American Community Survey (ACS) indicated that 8.8% of Thornton’s population was at or below the poverty level, a slight decrease from 2011 (9.6%). To building on the decrease, in 2015, the city will support agencies and initiatives aimed at reducing the number of poverty-level families through ensuring there are opportunities for these people to increase their financial knowledge before taking on home loans, aiding supportive services for those in poverty.

The ACS indicated the rate of homeowners at or below the poverty level remained constant (34%) in Thornton. This means that low-income home owners still need assistance with how to increase their net worth and not fall into deep debt. For this reason, the city will continue to support ACHA and CHFA with their down payment assistance and first time homebuyer loan programs. These programs require participants to attend homebuyer education, which is key to the long-term success of the resident maintaining homeownership. Also, the city will promote the new Home Repair Loan Program which provides 0% interest loans for major home repairs. Participants must work with a HUD certified housing counselor to discuss budgeting and one’s ability to pay a monthly loan.

In 2015, the city will explore different ways to reach out to contractors and educate them on what Section 3 means and the benefits of being a Section 3 contractor. For new construction related projects, the city will provide sub-recipients and contractors with information on Section 3 and will track all Section 3 businesses funded through CDBG. These will be reported via the Section 3 report that is submitted to HUD. And lastly, the city will promote training and contracting opportunities on the city’s Section 3 webpage.

The city will award grants through the Thornton Assistance Funds program to aid nonprofit organizations in their efforts to help people move from relying on private or public assistance to providing for one's own needs. The city believes if basic needs can be met and other supportive services can be provided, it can help alleviate some of the financial strain on families and help avoid or assist with unanticipated costs such as medical visits. Without assistance, such unanticipated costs often make it difficult for the family to maintain a budget, pay other necessary bills and can result in the loss


of time worked. By supporting basic needs and other supportive services the city helps enable the individuals and families to continue their upward movement towards self-sufficiency and out of poverty.

Actions planned to develop institutional structure

Incorporated in 1956, Thornton is a "home-rule" city, meaning that it has its own constitution. The city has a nine member Council that, with the assistance of the City Manager is responsible for setting policy, making laws, and developing goals for the city. The Council acts, by majority vote, to adopt ordinances and resolutions to guide the city in conducting business. The City Manager carries out the policy directions of City Council and supervises and coordinates the work of the staff in the departments that fall under direct control of the City Council. The City Development Department, which is responsible for administering the CDBG program is one of these departments.

No visible gaps were found in the institutional delivery system. The city will continue to facilitate and foster relationships with agencies to strengthen public service, work with other local jurisdictions and organizations to improve the community, and participate in regional efforts that allow for information sharing and dialogue concerning affordable housing and special needs populations including those at-risk of homelessness.

Actions planned to enhance coordination between public and private housing and social service agencies

The city will work with public and private housing and social service agencies to enhance coordination in the implementation of the Consolidated Plan. Some of the actions the city will take include:

• Coordinating meetings with the city and county or state if they are also contributing funds to a project in Thornton. Topics may cover how the funding requirements will be addressed so as not to overlap and identify any issues to resolve.

• Communicating with agencies to determine if there are any new needs in the community. • Offering technical assistance to agencies to discuss the sources of funding available, associated

timelines for applying for funds and most impactful uses of funds. • Participating in regional efforts and meetings with public and private housing and social service

agencies and other entitlement communities. • Surveying manufactured home parks and multifamily apartment complexes annually to

determine the number of units, vacancy and rental rates. The survey also requests data on the number of ADA compliant units in each multifamily housing complex.

• Offering free pre-application meetings for potential developers and/or property owners that are considering new development or rehabilitation as described under the Development of Institutional Structure section.

• Providing letters of support on behalf of affordable housing project proposals or other project proposals from agencies that are requesting funding from external sources.

• Facilitate opportunities for agencies to collaborate to help the low-income homeowner population they serve.

Discussion

As discussed in the 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan, Neighborhood Services uses monitoring efforts to ensure that programs funded with CDBG are compliant with federal, state and local requirements. In


order to achieve this goal, the city has developed a comprehensive monitoring plan for all CDBG funded projects.

In 2015, staff will perform desk monitoring, technical assistance and on-site monitoring both pre and post award. The amount of monitoring will vary dependent on the sub-recipient’s previous CDBG experience, performance and the complexity of the project. In 2015, the city will evaluate the benefits of implementing a formal risk analysis to help determine the frequency of monitoring required for agencies. Also, the city ensures compliance during setup, update and closeout of activity information in IDIS. IDIS tracks draw-down of grant funds and provides another level of monitoring to ensure program eligibility. Additionally, regularly updating IDIS helps verify that sub-recipients are on track with expenditures and outcomes. This ongoing review helps the City of Thornton identify needs of the sub-recipient and provide additional support if necessary.

AP-90 Program Specific Requirements - 91.420, 91.220(l)(1,2,4) Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG)

Reference 24 CFR 91.220(l)(1)

Projects planned with all CDBG funds expected to be available during the year are identified in the Projects Table. The following identifies program income that is available for use that is included in projects to be carried out.

1. The total amount of program income that will have been received before the start of the next program year and that has not yet been reprogrammed

0

2. The amount of proceeds from section 108 loan guarantees that will be used during the year to address the priority needs and specific objectives identified in the grantee's strategic plan

0

3. The amount of surplus funds from urban renewal settlements 0 4. The amount of any grant funds returned to the line of credit for which the planned use has not been included in a prior statement or plan.

0

5. The amount of income from float-funded activities 0 Total Program Income 0

Other CDBG Requirements

1. The amount of urgent need activities 0 2. The estimated percentage of CDBG funds that will be used for activities that benefit persons of low and moderate income. Overall Benefit - A consecutive period of one, two or three years may be used to determine that a minimum overall benefit of 70% of CDBG funds is used to benefit persons of low and moderate income. Specify the years covered that include this Annual Action Plan. 100.00%

Discussion

The city has not used CDBG funds towards a Section 108 loan, urban renewal or float funded activities. Additionally, no grant funds have been returned to the line of credit because of ineligible activities, excessive draws or ineligible expenditures. The city does not anticipate receiving program income in the 2015 program year that would meet the threshold as defined by HUD in 24 Code of Federal


Regulations Part 570.500(4)(i). The regulation states that program income does not include any income received in a single program year by the recipient and all its sub-recipients if the total amount of such income does not exceed $25,000. Therefore, no program income is anticipated in 2015.


APPENDICES

APPENDIX A. Alternate/Local Data Sources


1 Data Source Name Community Planning and Development (CPD) Maps List the name of the organization or individual who originated the data set. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Provide a brief summary of the data set. The website consolidates and displays information from the U.S. Census and HUD programs into a map. The website enables individuals to conduct queries to identify trends and analyze the needs of specific communities.

2 Data Source Name Housing and Population Counts List the name of the organization or individual who originated the data set. City of Thornton Provide a brief summary of the data set. The City Development Department consolidates the estimated population counts, information on new development, distribution of housing types throughout the city and the population by Ward on a quarterly basis.

3 Data Source Name Housing Needs Assessment and Analysis of Impediments List the name of the organization or individual who originated the data set. City of Thornton and Community Strategies Institute (CSI) Provide a brief summary of the data set. The Housing Needs Assessment and Analysis of Impediments analyze data to evaluate the housing market, the needs in the community and the impediments to fair housing. It is important to note that additional data sources were used to complete the document and are referenced therein.

4 Data Source Name Economic Development Strategic Plan List the name of the organization or individual who originated the data set. City of Thornton Economic Development Division and Greyhill Advisors Provide a brief summary of the data set. The document is a strategic plan to maximize the city’s effectiveness in expanding primary employment.

5 Data Source Name Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Annual Lead-Based Paint Testing List the name of the organization or individual who originated the data set. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) Provide a brief summary of the data set. CDPHE conducts annual testing to determine the rate of elevated levels of Lead in children throughout the state to determine the frequency of Lead poisoning.


APPENDIX B. Grantee Unique Appendices


Summary of the Analysis of Qualitative and Quantitative Data for Priority Needs

Categories of Needs (Examples of Projects)

Qualitative Data Quantitative Data Combined

Priority Survey

Feedback from

Community Meetings

Feedback from Service

Providers Meetings

Summary of

Qualitative Data

HNA City

Based - Data

HUD CPD Maps and

Census Data

Summary of Quantitative

Data

Summary of Both

Data Sets

Affordable Housing:

Construction of New Affordable Housing

Medium High High High High N/A

Addressed in HNA

Medium High

Preserve or Improve Owner-Occupied Housing

High High N/A High Medium N/A Low High

Preserve or Improve Rental Housing High Medium High High Medium N/A Low High

Energy Efficiency Improvements to Existing Housing

High N/A N/A Medium N/A N/A N/A Low

Acquire and Rehabilitate Existing Housing

Medium High High High Medium N/A Medium High

Provide Financial Assistance to Purchase a Home in Thornton

Low Medium Medium Medium High N/A Medium High

Housing for Homeless

N/A Medium Low Low N/A Low Low

Creation and Enforcement of New Housing Maintenance Codes

N/A N/A N/A NSN N/A N/A N/A NSN


Public Infrastructure (Installing New or Replacing Existing Public Infrastructure that Benefits Low-Income People):

City Water and Sewer Improvements High N/A N/A Medium N/A N/A N/A N/A Low

Flood Drainage Improvements (i.e. retention ponds)

High N/A N/A Medium N/A High N/A Medium High

Residential Street Improvements (i.e. lighting)

High Medium N/A Medium N/A Low N/A Low Low

Streetscape Improvements (i.e. landscaping rights of way)

N/A N/A NSN N/A Low N/A Low Low

Residential Sidewalks in Low-Income Neighborhoods

High Low N/A Medium N/A Low N/A Low Low

Parking Facilities (i.e. parking lots and garages)

N/A N/A NSN N/A N/A N/A N/A NSN

Public Facilities (Constructing New or Preserving Existing City or Nonprofit Facilities that Serve Low-Income People):

Centers for Seniors and Elderly People

High Low N/A Medium Low N/A N/A Low Low

Centers for People with Disabilities High Low N/A Medium Low N/A N/A Low Low

Youth Centers High N/A N/A Medium N/A N/A N/A N/A Low

Daycare or Head Start Centers for Low-Income Families

Medium Medium N/A Medium N/A N/A N/A N/A Low

Recreational/Library Facilities and Parks

High Medium Low Medium N/A Medium N/A Low Low

Health Facilities High Low High Medium N/A N/A N/A N/A Low


Homeless Facilities Medium N/A Low Low Low N/A N/A Low Low

Facilities for Victims of Domestic Violence

High N/A Low Medium Low N/A N/A Low Low

Facilities for Abused and Neglected Youth

High N/A N/A Medium Low N/A N/A Low Low

Facilities for People with Substance Abuse Issues

N/A N/A NSN Low N/A N/A Low Low

Facilities for People with AIDS N/A N/A NSN N/A N/A N/A N/A NSN

Public Services (Supporting Nonprofit Agencies that Provide Direct Services to Low-Income Residents):

Senior Services High Low Medium Medium High N/A N/A Medium High

Disabled Services High Medium Low Medium High N/A N/A Medium High

Youth Services High N/A Medium Medium Low N/A N/A Low Low

Childcare Services High Medium Low Medium N/A N/A N/A N/A Low

Transportation Services High High High High Medium N/A N/A Low High

Substance Abuse Services Medium N/A Medium Medium Low N/A N/A Low Low

Employment Training High High High High N/A N/A High Medium High

Health Services High Medium High High N/A N/A N/A N/A High

Mental Health Services High Low Medium Medium Low N/A N/A Low Low

Lead Hazard Screening N/A N/A NSN Low N/A N/A Low Low

Legal Services Medium Medium Low Medium N/A N/A N/A N/A Low


Services for Victims of Domestic Violence

High N/A Medium Medium Low Low N/A Low Low

Crime Awareness/Prevention Services

High Low N/A Medium N/A Low N/A Low Low

Housing Counseling High Medium Medium Medium N/A N/A Low Low

Rental Assistance and Counseling High Low Medium Medium N/A N/A Low Low

Services for Abused and Neglected Youth

High N/A N/A Medium Low N/A N/A Low Low

Services for Homeless (outreach and prevention)

High Low N/A Medium Medium N/A N/A Low Low

Services for AIDS Patients N/A N/A NSN N/A N/A N/A N/A NSN

Economic Development that Results in New Jobs:

Financial Assistance to For-Profit Businesses

N/A N/A NSN N/A

Low

NSN NSN NSN

Technical Assistance for Businesses N/A N/A NSN N/A NSN NSN NSN

Small Business Development Assistance

High N/A N/A Medium N/A Low Low Low

Rehabilitating Public or Private Commercial/Industrial Facilities

Medium N/A N/A Low N/A NSN NSN Low

Developing Commercial/Industrial Infrastructure

Medium N/A N/A Low N/A NSN NSN Low


Analysis of Impediments Summary

The city hired CSI to analyze the factors that might limit housing choice for low-income and special populations. CSI reviewed Thornton’s policies, land use and transportation planning documents, development review procedures and fees, taxation, and building codes. This review indicated that Thornton’s practices are consistent with neighboring jurisdictions and do not place undue burdens on housing developers. Further, the city’s policies, procedures, and guiding documents provide support and effective program management to expand housing choice and opportunities for low-income and minority populations.

Area lending policies also do not appear to be a significant impediment to fair housing in Thornton. A survey of housing professionals found fair housing training to be widely utilized. In addition, Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data indicates that loan applications are proportional to the demographic makeup of Thornton, with slight under-representation from the minority community. The data indicates that loan denial rates were higher for Asian households compared to white and African American households, and were nearly twice as high for Hispanic households compared to non-Hispanic households. However, HMDA data indicated that most of these higher denial rates were associated with bad credit and debt to income ratios rather than non-housing related reasons.

Through review of documented reports, CSI found that Thornton residents filed twelve total housing discrimination cases between 2008 and 2013: nine with HUD and three with the Colorado Civil Rights Division. The most frequently listed reason for perceived discrimination, cited in three-quarters of all cases, was disability (both physical and mental). This included discrimination in terms, conditions, privileges or services and facilities, and failure to make reasonable accommodation. Ten of these cases were found to have no probable cause and were either closed or dismissed. In the two other cases, a resolution was found and the cases were withdrawn.

Overall, the analysis identified three impediments to fair housing choice for Thornton:

• People with disabilities may experience housing discrimination: People with disabilities have a higher propensity to experience discrimination when looking for housing. In addition to this challenge, they are more likely to fall below the poverty level and if they require rental housing with accessible features, they may find it harder to find an affordable place to live that can accommodate their needs.

• There is a concentration of low-income housing in areas where a high concentration of protected classes live: The private housing market may be inadvertently segregating people of protected classes to one area of the community.

• NIMBYism (“Not In My Backyard”) syndrome exists: Public opposition to proposed affordable housing rental complexes may limit the types of housing and opportunities for protected classes to find a place to live.

Also, the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing report acknowledges that there is always the potential for minority populations to experience discrimination and the city should keep vigilant to prevent this. Since the Thornton-specific data did not indicate this condition, it is considered speculation and, therefore, listed as a potential impediment to fair housing choice.

To address these impediments, the City of Thornton will work to continue its fair housing outreach and education efforts, and to diversify the cost and type of housing available throughout the city. To read the full Analysis of Impediments section in the 2014 Housing Needs Assessment including action steps to overcome the impediments, go to www.cityofthornton.net.

http://www.cityofthornton.net/


Additional Maps

CDBG Eligible Boundary Area

Thornton City Limits


City of Thornton’s Current and Future Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) Activities

FHEO Action Measurement Indicator Measurement Timeframe Status of Action

Utilize Google Translate on City of Thornton’s webpages to allow for use by monolingual non-English speakers

Indicator 1: Installed on city’s website

Indicator 2: Utilize Service

Indicator 1: Install on website Indicator 2:

Utilized on an as needed basis

October 2012 - Present

Indicator 1 - Complete

Indicator 2 – Ongoing

Utilize Telelanguage phone translation services to provide interpretation and translation of documents for Thornton

residents.

Indicator 1: Execute contract with Telelanguage Indicator 2: Install phone lines at City Development

front counters Indicator 3: Utilize Service

Indicator 1: Contract executed Indicator 2: Install

phone lines Indicator 3:

Utilized on as need basis

October 2011 – Present


Indicator 2 – Complete

Indicator 3 - Ongoing

Provide residents with information on their FHEO rights on the City of

Thornton’s website

Indicator 1: Upload webpage with FHEO

information Indicator 2: Maintain webpage and ensure

accessibility to residents

Indicator 1: 1 webpage

Indicator 2: Utilized as

needed

December 2010 – Present


Indicator 2 - Ongoing

Provide residents with Fair Housing and Discrimination information in person or via the phone. Inform residents of their

rights and refer to Denver Metro Fair Housing Center (DMFHC), HUD and

Colorado Civil Rights Division

Staff to make referrals to these agencies As needed 2010 – Present Ongoing

Host and Market First Time Home Buyer Classes

Indicator 1: Host Classes

Indicator 2: Post information on city’s

website

Indicator 1: 4 classes per year

Indicator 2: Post information and

update as needed

2010 – Present Ongoing –

Complete for 2013

Co-facilitate the quarterly Community Manager’s Meeting to discuss housing

issues including FHEO rights and responsibilities

Host Meeting 4 meetings per year 2011 – Present

Ongoing – Complete for

2013

Provide Thornton rental managers with information and materials related to

FHEO

Provide Information and/or Materials to Managers

Annually as Needed 2010 – Present Ongoing

Fund and administer the minor home repair program for accessibility and safety for low and moderate income

seniors and individuals with disabilities

Households served 30 households Annually

August 2010 - Present

Ongoing – Complete for

2014

Support down payment assistance to low-income and minority populations Households served 10 households October 2012 –

May 2014 Currently underway

Support rehabilitation of foreclosed single-family homes for re-sale to low-

income individuals Homes sold 6 homes October 2012 –

December 2014

Complete for 2013, currently underway for

2014


FHEO Action Measurement Indicator Measurement Timeframe Status of Action

Support the rehabilitation of aging and un-safe affordable rental housing

Households served/Units upgraded 66 households October 2013 –

October 2014 Complete

Support the development of affordable rental housing Housing units developed 4 units October 2013 –

Present Currently Underway

Support the development of affordable owner housing Housing units developed 2 units March 2015 –

February 2016 Future Activity

Update translated brochures and educational materials that benefit low

and moderate income Spanish speaking residents with new information.

Update information/materials

Annually as Needed

January 2012 – Present Ongoing

Support a major home rehabilitation loan program for aging and unsafe low and moderate income owner occupied

housing

Households served/Units upgraded 11 households October 2014 –

Present Currently Underway

Improve the accessibility of entrances to an permanent supportive housing

complex Households benefitted 180 units

December 2014 – December

2015

Currently Underway

Distribute the Manufactured Home Handbook to residents

Provide Handbook to Residents

Annually as Needed 2012 – Present Ongoing

Complete/Update the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Document Completed 1 Analysis of

Impediments

September 2013 -

September 2014

Complete

Evaluate the Implementation of the 2009 Analysis of Impediments Complete Evaluation Evaluation

Completed September–

November 2014 Complete

Complete/Update the Housing Needs Assessment Document Completed 1 Housing Needs

Assessment

September 2013 -

November 2014 Complete

Update the Limited English Proficiency Plan and re-evaluate the methods used

to reach these populations.

Complete evaluation and update document

1 Limited English Proficiency Plan

March 2015 – February 2016 Future Activity

Collaborate with DMFHC to provide residents with information and identify

opportunities to collaborate

Indicator 1: Distribute Information

Indicator 2: Continue discussions regarding collaboration efforts

Annually as Needed 2013 - Present Ongoing

Collaborate with the MDHI to identify partnership opportunities and share

information and resources

Continue collaborative efforts

Annually as Needed

November 2014 - Present Ongoing


APPENDIX C. Citizen Participation Comments, Public Notices and Outreach


Summary of Prioritization Survey Responses Received

Categories of Needs (Examples of Projects) Priority

Number of Respondents in Each Category Of Those That Responded, the % of Respondents in Each Category:

% Responded

Very Important

Somewhat Important

Not Important

Chose Not to

Answer Total % Very

Important

% Somewhat Important

% Not Important

Affordable Housing: Construction of New Affordable

Housing Medium 69 59 10 7 145 50.00% 42.75% 7.25% 95.17% Preserve or Improve Owner-

Occupied Housing High 84 52 4 5 145 60.00% 37.14% 2.86% 96.55% Preserve or Improve Rental

Housing High 73 53 10 9 145 53.68% 38.97% 7.35% 93.79% Energy Efficiency Improvements to

Existing Housing High 93 38 4 10 145 68.89% 28.15% 2.96% 93.10% Acquire and Rehabilitate Existing

Housing Medium 65 55 13 12 145 48.87% 41.35% 9.77% 91.72% Provide Financial Assistance to

Purchase a Home in Thornton Low 68 50 19 8 145 49.64% 36.50% 13.87% 94.48% Housing for Homeless Low 69 53 18 5 145 49.29% 37.86% 12.86% 96.55% Creation and Enforcement of New

Housing Maintenance Codes Low 54 52 24 15 145 41.54% 40.00% 18.46% 89.66% Public Infrastructure (Installing New or Replacing Existing Public Infrastructure that Benefits Low-Income People):

City Water and Sewer Improvements High 102 34 4 5 145 72.86% 24.29% 2.86% 96.55%

Flood Drainage Improvements (i.e. retention ponds) High 92 40 8 5 145 65.71% 28.57% 5.71% 96.55%

Residential Street Improvements (i.e. lighting) High 100 31 9 5 145 71.43% 22.14% 6.43% 96.55%

Streetscape Improvements (i.e. landscaping rights of way) Low 63 61 15 6 145 45.32% 43.88% 10.79% 95.86%

Residential Sidewalks in Low-Income Neighborhoods High 84 46 7 8 145 61.31% 33.58% 5.11% 94.48%


Parking Facilities (i.e. parking lots and garages) Low 48 58 30 9 145 35.29% 42.65% 22.06% 93.79% Public Facilities (Constructing New or Preserving Existing City or Nonprofit Facilities that Serve Low-Income People):

Centers for Seniors and Elderly People High 102 38 3 2 145 71.33% 26.57% 2.10% 98.62%

Centers for People with Disabilities High 104 35 3 3 145 73.24% 24.65% 2.11% 97.93% Youth Centers High 93 43 3 6 145 66.91% 30.94% 2.16% 95.86% Daycare or Head Start Centers for

Low-Income Families Medium 66 62 9 8 145 48.18% 45.26% 6.57% 94.48% Recreational/Library Facilities and

Parks High 94 42 3 6 145 67.63% 30.22% 2.16% 95.86% Health Facilities High 86 44 9 6 145 61.87% 31.65% 6.47% 95.86% Homeless Facilities Medium 67 59 13 6 145 48.20% 42.45% 9.35% 95.86% Facilities for Victims of Domestic

Violence High 86 48 6 5 145 61.43% 34.29% 4.29% 96.55% Facilities for Abused and Neglected

Youth High 100 36 6 3 145 70.42% 25.35% 4.23% 97.93% Facilities for People with Substance

Abuse Issues Low 65 58 17 5 145 46.43% 41.43% 12.14% 96.55% Facilities for People with AIDS Low 53 68 18 6 145 38.13% 48.92% 12.95% 95.86%

Public Services (Supporting Nonprofit Agencies that Provide Direct Services to Low-Income Residents): Senior Services High 117 21 2 5 145 83.57% 15.00% 1.43% 96.55% Disabled Services High 111 27 2 5 145 79.29% 19.29% 1.43% 96.55% Youth Services High 92 44 4 5 145 65.71% 31.43% 2.86% 96.55% Childcare Services High 79 50 9 7 145 57.25% 36.23% 6.52% 95.17% Transportation Services High 105 35 1 4 145 74.47% 24.82% 0.71% 97.24% Substance Abuse Services Medium 69 57 14 5 145 49.29% 40.71% 10.00% 96.55% Employment Training High 80 51 4 10 145 59.26% 37.78% 2.96% 93.10% Health Services High 88 42 5 10 145 65.19% 31.11% 3.70% 93.10% Mental Health Services High 84 45 6 10 145 62.22% 33.33% 4.44% 93.10% Lead Hazard Screening Low 36 72 22 15 145 27.69% 55.38% 16.92% 89.66% Legal Services Medium 55 63 11 16 145 42.64% 48.84% 8.53% 88.97%


Services for Victims of Domestic Violence High 83 46 6 10 145 61.48% 34.07% 4.44% 93.10%

Crime Awareness/Prevention Services High 84 44 4 13 145 63.64% 33.33% 3.03% 91.03%

Housing Counseling Low 47 69 14 15 145 36.15% 53.08% 10.77% 89.66% Rental Assistance and Counseling Low 50 63 18 14 145 38.17% 48.09% 13.74% 90.34% Services for Abused and Neglected

Youth High 92 33 8 12 145 69.17% 24.81% 6.02% 91.72% Services for Homeless (outreach

and prevention) High 73 46 11 15 145 56.15% 35.38% 8.46% 89.66% Services for AIDS Patients Low 61 52 15 17 145 47.66% 40.63% 11.72% 88.28%

Economic Development that Results in New Jobs: Financial Assistance to For-Profit

Businesses Low 41 59 25 20 145 32.80% 47.20% 20.00% 86.21% Technical Assistance for Businesses Low 44 61 22 18 145 34.65% 48.03% 17.32% 87.59% Small Business Development

Assistance High 69 44 13 19 145 54.76% 34.92% 10.32% 86.90% Rehabilitating Public or Private

Commercial/Industrial Facilities Medium 53 61 10 21 145 42.74% 49.19% 8.06% 85.52% Developing Commercial/Industrial

Infrastructure Medium 51 62 12 20 145 40.80% 49.60% 9.60% 86.21%

High = More than 50% of the residents chose "very important". Medium = 50% or fewer of the residents chose "very important", but more than 90% of the residents either chose "very important" or "somewhat important". Low = More than 10% of the residents chose "not important".


Summary of Prioritization Survey Comments

Comments Received on the Housing and Community Development 2014 Project Prioritization Surveys

Senior Center Benefits should go to legal citizens. Pecos park needs to be patrolled at dark and late afternoons, for illegal activity. Count area between Senior Center and Art's parking lot. The back side of the park is not used. More financial aid/services to homeless, disabled, seniors, and below poverty line people (citizens or immigrants). I agree with current establishment priorities. However, Thornton may be able to facilitate employment or job growth opportunities in some way. Internship or a job site training for seniors. I had new rails installed and now I need a new ramp Open House The side streets in some areas are very bad. Example, York between 124 to 128 and in the Concord neighborhood. Very difficult to not say all this is very important. Taxes need to be raised on the upper 1% in this country. I live on 120th Pl, my backyard backs up to 120th Ave. The noise level is so high most of the time that I cannot enjoy my yard 80% of the daylight hours. Great Survey Homes for elderly and functional but lacking funds. Tie into community involvement for nonprofits i.e. dinners, ESL classes, food assistance, gardens, and post at the Thornton Harvest Fest. Sound dampening wall on Northside of 120th Ave, between Colorado and Holly. Mail In This foreclosure industry with regard to all these fraudulent acts the case law, the banks and AIG needs to be further addressed. Rule 120 is unconstitutional. In favor of the construction and improvement of the rec and health facilities, and for the creation of programs that increase economic growth. To respect the people that built this community and give all the help they deserve. We need to go back to God duty, Country and Honor. Harvest Fest Stop the nickel and dime for everything we do at our homes. Garage sales permits, really. I think people that really need the assistance should be able to be helped. The Carpenter Rec Center needs facilities to serve the senior citizens, the young and disabled, classes specified for them such as MDA or MS. Mejora de las banquetas en las areas de casa - Improvement of sidewalks in areas of houses Improve current owner-occupied housing.


Help should be there but not to where it disables the people from doing it themselves. People and places with the most need should come first. Services for those at-risk. Residential assistance for main sewer line replacement. Very expensive and Thornton is old. Residents are replacing at an increased rate annually. Improve senior systems. Some good assistance and training is available to other sources. Many of these programs exist in State and Federal levels, no need to duplicate. Need to treat "Old Thornton" the same as "New Thornton." A self-defense course for women and kids would be great. Economic Development, youth services, health services - low pay health centers. Thornton does a good job with its resources, let’s keep up the good work to attract more businesses and residents. If the city helps small-for-profit businesses rehab public/private commercial and industrial facilities you kill 2 birds with one stone. Potholes in residential areas need to be fixed. Road repair in Ward 4. Need for transportation not to get away as we grow. Received at CCH For Renaissance 88 in Thornton, I believe (know) there is a very big need to question the office staff.

*Items highlighted in yellow were not considered as they could not be addressed through the use of CDBG funds.


Demographics of Prioritization Survey Respondents

Demographic Information Total

Of the Respondents That Answered % in Each Category

% Responded vs. Chose Not to Respond

Ownership Status Owner 94 84.68%

76.55% Renter 17 15.32% Chose not to answer 34 23.45% TOTAL 145 100.00%

Age 18-29 years of age 12 8.96%

92.41%

30-45 years of age 34 25.37% 46-55 years of age 29 21.64% 56-65 years of age 25 18.66% 66-75 years of age 22 16.42% Older than 75 years of age 12 8.96% Chose not to answer 11 7.59% TOTAL 145 100.00%

Household Income $0 $20,000 24 21.24%

77.93%

$20,001 $40,000 27 23.89% $40,001 $60,000 21 18.58% $60,001 $80,000 15 13.27% $80,001 $100,000 13 11.50% $100,001 + 13 11.50% Chose not to answer 32 22.07% TOTAL 145 100.00%

Race Caucasian 99 83.90%

81.38%

Asian 1 0.85% African American 1 0.85% American Indian/Alaskan 3 2.54% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 1 0.85% Other 13 11.02% Chose not to answer 27 18.62% TOTAL 145 100.00%

Ethnicity Hispanic/Latino 35 39.77%

60.69% Not Hispanic/Latino 53 60.23% Chose not to answer 57 39.31% TOTAL 145 100.00%


For the Housing Needs Assessment, three surveys were provided: a resident housing survey (English and Spanish); an Analysis of Impediments survey; and a developer survey. The following are examples outreach that was conducted. See the Housing Needs Assessment for more details on the public participation process at www.cityofthornton.net.

Resident Housing Survey Utility Billing Flyer


Resident Housing Survey in Northglenn/Thornton Sentinel


Letter to Banks for Analysis of Impediments Survey


For the Consolidated Plan, the public participation process is described in detail in this document. The following are examples outreach that was provided.

Sample of a Community Meeting Flyer and Transportation Options for Consolidated Plan Priorities

(English and Spanish)


Northglenn/Thornton Sentinel Ad for Community Open House

Priority Survey Outreach


Project Prioritization Survey (English and Spanish)





Pictures of Public Outreach and Consultation Efforts


APPENDIX D. City Council Resolutions One of the City council members sits on the board of the Adams County Housing Authority. This agency requested CDBG funds in 2015. To avoid any conflicts of interest, the council member removed himself from the room during the discussions at the planning session on December 9, 2014 and February 17, 2015. He also did not vote on this item during the Public Hearing.





APPENDIX E. HUD Required Forms and Certifications














Documents

2015 – 2019 Consolidated Plan and 2015 Annual Action Plan2015 Annual Action Plan and included a public comment period that was in compliance with the city’s Citizen Participation